Hockey

Logan Cooley turned down $9.6 million a year: Ivan Demidov must be salivating
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Logan Cooley turned down $9.6 million a year: Ivan Demidov must be salivating
Credit: NHL

More than ever, with the salary cap rising like crazy, it's a game-changer for players. The fact that Kirill Kaprizov has signed for $17 million a year from 2026 to 2034 speaks volumes about how players are shopping for salary increases. And at the same time, it's only natural: the cap will continue to rise after years of stagnation. According to Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts), by 2026-2027, the cap could be at $107m instead of the projected $104m.

And that's something Logan Cooley has figured out. The Utah Mammoth star has turned down, Frank Seravalli reports, a contract (starting in 2026) worth $76.8m. We're talking eight years at $9.6m a year

Yes, prices are going up.So clearly, this means Cooley wants an annual salary in the eight figures. Will the Mammoth give in to his demands? We'll see. Cooley scored 44 points in his rookie season in Arizona and 65 points in Salt Lake City last year. With one year left on his rookie contract before becoming a free agent, the center has more leverage in his negotiations than Lane Hutson, who has just one full year behind the tie. But Hutson, a defenseman, had more points than Cooley in one season (whatever season you use for comparison), still…I know that in a year's time, Ivan Demidov will only have one full season under his belt. I also know that he's a winger, not a center, but as prices rise, he'll be able to (try to) tell the Canadiens that he's worth more than Cooley if he has more than 44 points in his rookie season. And Cooley said no to that contract…

'Overtime'

– Nice.

– First pick of last draft is in the NHL

– Interesting.

– To read.

– Good angle.

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