Yes, Ivan Demidov can sign an eight-year contract in 2026

Dose
Crédit: Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens walks out of the dressing room before a warm-up against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Looking at the Canadiens’ salary structure, it’s clear that, in the long term, there will be at least two other big contracts to add to the club’s payroll. The first is Lane Hutson. He’s clearly the topic of the summer (or one of the topics, at least), and everyone’s wondering when he’ll sign long-term,and more importantly, what his annual salary will be.But when you look a year into the future, you realize that it’s possible that Ivan Demidov could be in the same position as Lane Hutson. After all, Demidov has also burned a year on his contract, and he could also win the Calder. He’ll be in a position to sign for the long term after his first full NHL season. What you need to know is that the next collective agreement won’t allow eight-year contracts. Butas Marco D’Amico points out, in July 2026, eight-year contracts will still be possible. Contrary to what was circulated this summer, the contract rule will come into effect in September 2026 and not July 2026.

[content-ads]Result? Ivan Demidov is one of the players who could potentially sign an eight-year contract instead of settling for just seven seasons. It’s a game-changer for the Canadiens, let’s face it. Of course, for this to happen, Demidov will have to have a season that lives up to expectations. But with his talent and work ethic, the chances of him succeeding are excellent. Note that if Demidov were to do as Hutson did (not sign at the beginning of the summer and wait a while), time could be against him to sign an eight-year contract, given that on September 16, 2026, the rules will change. [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Listen to

– Wow.

– Interesting.

– Ouch.

– Mitch Marner didn’t really consider the Ducks.