Canadiens’ Demidov Knew What He Was Doing with Unexpected Deal

In a time when some players are grabbing as much of their piece of the pie as they can, Ivan Demidov‘s agent, Dan Milstein, says his client wanted his eight-year deal done quickly and to leave money on the table so that the Montreal Canadiens could sign other players. Milstein said, “If I had it my way, the deal probably would have looked a little different.”

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Demidov signed a team-friendly contract with the Canadiens. He locked into an eight-year extension worth $9.15 million per season. It seemed like a bit of a deal at the time, but given where contracts have gone in the two months following that extension, it looks like a home run contract for the Canadiens now. “His exact words were, ‘We’re in a great situation. I feel like we’re going to be winning for many years.’ He wanted to leave money on the table so (Montreal) can sign other players.”

Since Demidov — who scored 19 goals and 62 points in his rookie season — signed, deals like Cale Makar‘s eight-year, $20.4 million per season extension. Leo Carlsson‘s five-year, $18 million contract has been finalized. Connor Bedard signed a $15 million AAV deal. Macklin Celebrini signed for $18.8 million per season. Cutter Gauthier turned down $13 million per season, and the latest is that he’s asking for a “big, big number.”

All of those contracts make Demidov’s look even better in hindsight.

The Demidov deal includes a US$11.5-million signing bonus he’ll receive on July 1. It also includes a 10-team no-trade clause for the final three years. And he’s going to get paid again. Even though Demidov went against this agent’s wishes by not asking for more, another big payday will come. “My client, at the age of 28 or 29, will be able to sign whatever deal’s available at the time,” Milstein said. “That will probably be four or five times bigger than what it is today. For the time being, Ivan is extremely happy. He’s grateful and gracious. They came to him after only 84 (career) games. There are no regrets.”

Demidov Will Cash in With an Even Bigger Deal Later

Demidov knew what he was doing, too. “He wanted this deal. He knew there were other, bigger deals coming in the future. He knows he’s going to improve and wanted to be like everyone else on the team.”

That’s high praise for a player who is projected by his agent to be among the top players in the NHL in a few seasons. Mark my words, this player is going to be in the conversation as one of the best players in the league. Give it a few more years. He will be a household name in the NHL — not just Montreal.”

It will be interesting to see what kind of a contract Demidov signs then and if he’ll be as willing to leave money on the table as he was with his latest contract.

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