Montreal Canadiens' GM Kent Hughes has many tasks to get done this summer, but one is particularly important: getting Ivan Demidov signed to a long-term contract.
If signing Lane Hutson was on Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes’ to-do list last offseason, this time around, he has an equally important mission: signing Ivan Demidov. The Russian rookie had a very good first season, putting up 62 points in 82 games and finishing second in Calder Trophy voting.
When asked about Demidov’s upcoming contract on Monday morning in Brossard, Hughes explained:
There’s no doubt that we see Ivan as a core player for us, and we will be talking to his agent. I imagine in the coming weeks. I believe Ivan likes Montreal and playing for the Canadiens. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. We’ll find a way to reach an agreement. You never know whether a player prefers a long-term or short-term contract, but ideally, we’d like to sign him long-term.
If that answer made it clear that signing Demidov would be pretty high on the GM’s to-do list, it wasn’t very reassuring when it came to locking up the former first-round pick for the long term. However, Demidov himself provided some clarity on the situation when he spoke to the media a couple of hours later.
The youngster was asked if Lane Hutson had given him any advice when it came to contract negotiation, and what came out of his mouth must have been music to the ears of every Canadiens’ fan:
We talked a little bit about that, just saying to each other that it’s important to stay here for a long time because the group that we have here is a Cup team.
A reporter then asked whether his priority would be to sign as long as possible, as soon as possible, and he nodded in approval, adding a "yeah," as if it were a foregone conclusion.
The youngster had the media laughing when he was asked what he would tell his agent ahead of his contract negotiations and replied, in a fantastic Bill Belichick impression, “I mean, just do your job.” And again, when he said that English was the biggest thing he learned this season. As for who his best teacher was, he named his roommate, Lane Hutson, before saying 75 [Jakub Dobes] had been his worst teacher.
Time will be of the essence in this case, as starting on September 16, 2026, players won’t be able to sign eight-year deals with their existing teams. The new CBA will come into force, bringing the maximum term of a contract extension to seven years. Obviously, the Canadiens are hoping to sign Demidov for eight years, and that’s only possible until mid-September.
Just like last offseason, Demidov intends to spend the summer in Montreal training for the upcoming campaign, but he’ll have a new training companion. 2025 second-round draft pick Alexander Zharovsky will be arriving in Montreal next week to train alongside his childhood friend. The winger, who was named Rookie of the Year in the KHL last week, will be coming to Montreal for the first time since being drafted by the Habs. Just like Hutson has been a positive influence on Demidov, the soon-to-be sophomore will be a great influence on his countryman as he introduces him to the city and to the team’s training facilities.
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