Jan 19, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens players celebrate the win with a stuffed version of mascot Youppi after the game against the New York Rangers at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens players celebrate the win with a stuffed version of mascot Youppi after the game against the New York Rangers at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
With free agency in process, the Montreal Canadiens’ front office has figured out a win-win situation. But NHL Draft analyst Tony Ferrari seemed mainly impressed by the cap management.
“The Montreal Canadiens are the gold standard of cap management, and they will be for the foreseeable future,” Ferrari took to X on July 1, 2026. “A true masterclass by Kent Hughes (General Manager) and Jeff Gorton (Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations).”
The analyst emphasized the GM’s move to lock in the young core of Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovský and Noah Dobson for the next four years and more, all under $10m each.
According to The Athletic’s Journalist Arpon Basu, the team has signed Demidov to an eight-year contract extension, worth $73.2 million. It’ll only count for $9.15 million annually on the Canadiens’ salary cap, starting from the 2027-28 season.
Hutson and Demidov's combined salary cap will be $18 million. This setup allows the team to keep its best players under contract through 2030 for just under $63 million. Ultimately, this will provide greater flexibility and freedom in building the roster for upcoming seasons.
Such excellent team-friendly management was only the result of yet another brilliant decision taken by the Canadiens’ CEO Geoff Molson last October.
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton’s Long-Term Commitment Laid the Foundation
Seemingly, the Canadiens aren’t very familiar with bad decisions. While the team signed Hughes and Gorton to multi-year contracts, CEO Molson expressed what led to this choice in a press release published on October 14, 2025.
“Their commitment to building a world-class organization has been unrelenting. And (it) will only get better as we progress in the years to come,” the CEO stated. “I would like to thank Jeff and Kent for taking this team and organization to where it is today.”
“Full of talent, size and speed with a support structure that is second to none, an objective from day one,” he added. “I look forward to many more years working with them.”
The results have started to pay off, and the best is yet to come for both the players and the organization as a whole.
What’s your thought on the Canadiens’ cap management? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Deblina Roy