Does Ivan Demidov have any regrets? “I don’t think so.”

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Does Ivan Demidov have any regrets? “I don’t think so.”
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

Kent Hughes needs to give himself the means to make moves. And to receive, you have to give.

Of course, players like Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky are, by necessity, names that come up often in discussions on this topic.

We'll see how this plays out.

But one thing you can't take away from him is that he's once again managed to convince a top young prospect to take a pay cut compared to market value in order to sign him to a long-term deal.

We're talking about Ivan Demidov and his $9.15 million-a-year contract from 2027 to 2035.

There are far more advantages than disadvantages for Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and Geoff Molson in having Demidov sign at that price to stay here throughout his twenties.

And what about the young player himself? Where does he stand in all of this?

Nothing forced him to sign as early as July 1, 2026, of course. If he did, it's because he was happy to get it over with and secure $73.2 million over eight years.

But the question arises following the hostile offer to Leo Carlsson, which derailed the market. And Elliotte Friedman (32T) addressed the topic on his podcast this morning.

According to the insider, who shared his take on the matter, it's hard to believe that Demidov—who was just waiting for July 1 to announce his contract—is disappointed by how things turned out.

After all, giving that much money to a young guy his age is crazy. It's hard to say no to that kind of money, especially when you didn't grow up in extreme wealth.

“I don't think so.” – Elliotte Friedman, on whether Ivan Demidov regrets not asking for more

Because in reality, the Russian surely realized just as quickly that Kent Hughes wasn't going to disrupt his salary structure for him. And since he wanted to sign quickly…

All the better if everyone's happy.


In a nutshell

– Oh, really?

– Quebec City or Moncton?

– Interesting.

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