Contract: Ivan Demidov’s agent has his own ways (and CH fans have reason to be concerned)

Marc-Olivier Cook
Contract: Ivan Demidov’s agent has his own ways (and CH fans have reason to be concerned)
Credit: Derek Cain/Getty Images

Ivan Demidov is already one of the most creative and talented players in the National Hockey League.

You know, when you're being compared to guys like Nikita Kucherov and Pavel Datsyuk even though you're only 20…

That's exactly what the Russian's agent did in a recent interview with Arpon Basu (The Athletic). And let's just say Dan Milstein didn't mince words when talking about his client.

Basically, it's simple: Milstein, who was also Kuch and Datsyuk's agent, puts Demidov in the same league as those players when it comes to hockey IQ.

And that's a huge compliment to the Canadiens player.

If I put my clients Pavel Datsyuk, Nikita Kucherov, and Demidov in the same room, I don't know which one would have the highest hockey IQ. – Dan Milstein

The interview in question can be found here:

But seeing Milstein say that openly… it seems to raise some concerns for me. And I'm speaking mainly in terms of Ivan Demidov's next contract.

Let me explain. 

Basically, Kucherov and Datsyuk quickly became impact players in the National Hockey League. It didn't take long before they established themselves among the elite… and both guys did the same thing after their NHL entry-level contracts expired: they signed bridge contracts.

Datsyuk inked a two-year deal ($3.9 million per season) with the Red Wings… while Kuch, for his part, signed a three-year contract worth $4,766,667 annually.

Demidov, for his part, will be eligible to sign a contract extension starting next July 1. And given what his agent has done in recent years, it's likely that Milstein will push for a short-term contract…

The idea, obviously, is to give Demidov time to prove himself. By signing for fewer years, it would allow him to increase his value more quickly… and it would also allow him to sign a very lucrative contract even sooner.

That's what happened with Datsyuk (seven years at $6.7 million per season, which was a lot of money in 2007) and Kucherov (eight years at $9.5 million per season)… 

Milstein will have the arguments on his side. He'll point this out to Demidov, saying: “Hey, this approach has already worked for my former clients. Why wouldn't you use it?”

What could help the Canadiens is the fact that Demidov sees himself playing in Montreal for a long time and the fact that other players have agreed to sign at a discount for several years.

But the kid will have a decision to make. And I wonder just how much Dan Milstein is going to mess with his head… because ideally, of course, the Canadiens want to sign Demidov for as long as possible.


In a nutshell

– I like his perspective.

– You be the judge.

– Oh.

– Enjoy the read.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!