Minnesota Wild

Wild Reminding Canadiens of Insane Value It Has Locked In on Its Young Core

The Montreal Canadiens have their core locked up to incredible deals, something the Wild are proving with their two huge contracts.

by
NHL Trade Talk
July 14, 2026

Starting in 2027-28, the Montreal Canadiens will have four of their most important players locked up for a combined cap hit of $33.45 million — and while the club was already highly regarded as the one with the most team-friendly contracts, that number just got a whole lot more attractive following news out of Minnesota.

Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovský will make up that quartet, representing the backbone of Montreal’s rebuild: a dynamic offensive defenseman, a dazzling young winger, a bona fide goal-scorer, and a big-bodied power forward. Together, their price tag will still come in under what the Wild are offering to pay Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes.

Kaprizov is making $17 million on his new contract in Minnesota, paired with what is projected to be a $17 million extension for Hughes.

In other words, Montreal could be paying roughly the same price for four cornerstone players as Minnesota will pay for two.

The Canadiens Got Way Ahead of the Salary Spike

GM Kent Hughes has managed his cap to near perfection. The efficiency to which he rebuilt the Canadiens and locked in those young players to solid deals — and there are more than just those four — is astounding. Meanwhile, while understanding that the market has determined the prices for Kaprizov and Hughes, the Wild are paying full freight for both players.

Rumors swirl about the Wild asking Kaprizov for a trade list as negotiations continue. Are they accurate and what's going on here? — Rumors swirl about the Wild asking Kaprizov for a trade list as negotiations continue. Are they accurate and what’s going on here?

The Canadiens can build out the rest of its roster — depth scoring, goaltending, a physical bottom six — without being handcuffed by a handful of maximum-value contracts. The Wild might have trouble doing so.

Of course, the extension for Hughes is not yet finalized. He could take less. He could also jump to another team. But if the Wild manage to hang on to him with an extension, it won’t be under $15-$16 million.

Bill Guerin isn’t the only GM dealing with this situation, either. Several teams will be hurting, even as the cap continues to climb. The Canadiens, on the other hand, will have all sorts of room to take advantage of those teams’ troubles.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Oilers, Canadiens, Jets & Sharks’ Hellebuyck Interest