Salaries have skyrocketed across the NHL this summer—except in Quebec, where the Montreal Canadiens’ salary structure continues to be the envy of the other 31 general managers. The Canadiens’ stars appear on most lists of the best contracts on their team. That doesn’t really bother captain Nick Suzuki, who signed an eight-season, $63 million contract extension in October 2021. “That’s what happens when you sign a long-term contract,” he noted on Thursday, on the sidelines of the fourth annual Nick Suzuki Heroes Golf Tournament to benefit the Asista Foundation. “I signed my contract five years ago. Times have changed. The salary cap will be even higher when we have to renew our contracts.” The Habs’ core—Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson—is under contract for at least the next four seasons, and no player on the team currently has a salary impact exceeding US9.5 million. General Manager Kent Hughes resolved two major issues early this summer, securing contract extensions for forward Ivan Demidov—an eight-year deal worth $73.2 million—and goaltender Jakub Dobes—a three-year deal worth just over $16 million. Meanwhile, young players like Leo Carlsson and Macklin Celebrini have signed contracts with annual salary impacts of $18 million and $18.8 million, respectively, with the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks. Connor Bedard, for his part, signed a contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks worth an average of $15 million per year. Suzuki admitted that he himself was amazed by the amounts offered to the next generation of stars. The Canadiens’ management reiterated that its salary structure is significant and that it is aware of the unease this could create if it were to offer an exorbitant amount to a free agent who has yet to don the blue-white-red uniform. Suzuki didn’t go so far as to say that this could create friction in the team’s locker room if such a situation were to arise. However, he noted that he and his teammates are aware that they’ve left money on the table. “We want to win. There are guys who accepted less money so we could achieve that goal. That makes a big difference,” he said. “But we’re still earning salaries that will allow us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. I don’t think anyone needs to worry about that.” It’s been a fairly quiet offseason for the Canadiens’ front office, aside from the contract extensions for Demidov and Dobes. The team has primarily added depth to its farm team, the Laval Rocket. Restricted free agents Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj have yet to sign new deals. Everything suggests the team set to open the season on September 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs will look much like the one that saw its season end on May 29, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. Meanwhile, the other teams in the Atlantic Division have been active, hoping to remain or become competitive. Suzuki, however, isn’t worried that the Habs will take a step backward by being outpaced by a rival. “Lineups change often, and not everything always works out,” the captain noted. “I like the fact that we rely on the same players and the same system of play. Everyone knows what they have to do. We have several young players who are getting more comfortable with each passing year. I think it can be an advantage not to make too many changes.” Suzuki, therefore, won’t have to focus on integrating a new player because of his role as captain. He said he’s had to toughen up a bit over the years to ensure the same standard is maintained night after night. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 27, 2026.
