The Montreal Canadiens have made a major move with July 1 here. 

According to TSN's Chris Johnston, the Canadiens have signed star forward Ivan Demidov to an eight-year contract extension with a $9.125 million AAV.

This is a huge move for the Canadiens, as they have locked up one of their most promising young stars for his entire 20s. His new extension will start during the 2027-28 season, as he still has one year left on his entry-level contract. 

Demidov just had an excellent 2025-26 season with the Canadiens, as he posted 19 goals, 43 assists, and 62 points. It was a great rookie year for the 2024 fifth-overall pick, and he has now landed a big payday because of it.