Canadiens: The Perfect Salary Structure to Remain a Cup Contender for Years to Come

Mathis Therrien
Canadiens: The Perfect Salary Structure to Remain a Cup Contender for Years to Come
Credit: Reuben Polansky-Shapiro/NHLI via Getty Images

The payroll is an extremely complex issue that is difficult for any team in the National Hockey League to manage effectively.

And often, it is the management of this payroll that separates championship teams from those that struggle to succeed.

It is therefore very important to structure the salary cap effectively in order to have a competitive team across all positions.

And when we look at the Montreal Canadiens, well, we see that, little by little, Kent Hughes has managed to put together a salary structure that's very advantageous for the team's future.

Indeed, with the vast majority of its top players under contract for many years at very respectable salaries, the Habs are truly primed for glory.

In fact, for Eric Engels, it's clear that the Habs have an ideal payroll to be a Stanley Cup contender for years to come.

And it's true that when you look at the big picture, with the salary cap constantly rising, Kent Hughes has pulled off some real masterstrokes.

The Habs have no bad long-term contracts, and the only heavy, cumbersome contracts—those of Josh Anderson ($5.5M), Brendan Gallagher ($6.5M), and Phillip Danault ($5.5M)—expire at the end of next season.

And Patrik Laine's contract ($8.7 million) will expire at the end of this season.

Furthermore, no player earns more than Noah Dobson's $9.5 million, making the Habs one of the few competitive teams without any players earning $10 million or more.

(Credit: CapWages.com)
(Credit: CapWages.com)

And let's just say that no current Habs player is close to surpassing that mark, and even if Ivan Demidov signs a contract extension this summer, it won't be worth that much.

In short, soon Kent Hughes will have nothing but good contracts on his roster, and he'll also have room under the salary cap to improve his team through big signings or trades.

The Canadiens are therefore perfectly positioned to be a competitive team for years to come, and that's excellent news for Montreal fans.

Having so many star players signed at a discount is a dream come true, and we really have to thank Kent Hughes.


In Brief

– Stay tuned today.

– Way to go!

– From one champion to another.

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