Demidov has kept his end of the (implicit) agreement; now it’s up to Kent Hughes to do the same

I was in the stands at Stade Hébert yesterday when I saw the news break: Ivan Demidov's agent publicly stated that if it were up to him, Ivan Demidov wouldn't have left (as much, at least) money on the table when signing his eight-year contract.

Basically, Dan Milstein—who also represents Alexandre Texier, Gleb Pugashyov, and Alexander Zharovsky—told The Gazette that his client wanted to leave money on the table so that Montreal could sign other players.

“If it had been up to me, the deal would have been a little different.” — Dan Milstein

We're so lucky to have players willing to do this. pic.twitter.com/tfDFYzb20u

— carina (@goalcauf) September 6, 2026

Milstein even went so far as to say that his client left money on the table to allow Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes to sign other players.

Let's be clear: it's rare to hear an agent share this many details after contract negotiations.

On the one hand, we have to applaud Ivan Demidov and his willingness to put the team (entirely) ahead of his personal finances. Lane Hutson did the same thing a year ago, and his agent—even though he never said so publicly—would most likely have signed a different deal if it had been up to him.

But on the other hand, we must still recognize something important: it's not just Habs fans who are disappointed by the Montreal front office's inaction this summer. There's reason to believe that Ivan Demidov is too.

Because, let's not forget, Demidov left several million dollars on the table to allow his GM to improve the team by attracting other players to Montreal with the millions he won't be earning.

Basically, Demidov struck an informal deal with Kent Hughes: if I agree to sign for $9.15 million—rather than $12 or $13 million—you'll use the difference to improve the team and increase our chances of winning the Stanley Cup.

Demidov has honored his end of the agreement; Kent Hughes has not yet done so.

Of course, Hughes still has a (big) week ahead of him before training camp opens, and since Demidov's contract won't take effect until 2027–28, it's reasonable to assume that the millions Demidov won't receive will start becoming available next summer.

However, the essence of my reasoning remains: it's not just the fans and the media who will put pressure on management to improve the Montreal roster. No! The players will do so—indirectly—and they'll do it with an even stronger argument: the money they've agreed to forgo.

You know, the team captain will be eligible to sign a contract extension in less than three years. Since he'll be over 30, he might very well think to himself: “That's it—the time has come for me to cash in. I've given back far more than my annual salary to the Habs for years.”

There is indeed a kind of moral and sporting debt that management owes to Demidov.

The problem is that Kent Hughes can't attract players who'll command salaries of $12 million or more. If he does, there will be discontent in the locker room.

He's in a tight spot. He needs to improve the team, but he has to find players who'll agree to come to Montreal for a little less money.

And that kind of player isn't exactly a dime a dozen.