written by Jonah sacks

October 19, 2025

There once was a time when the Canadiens’ biggest contracts in a given year belonged to Mike Hoffman and David Savard. Those days are long gone.

With this new management group, contracts are being handed out based on projection, not past production. Players are getting paid for what they will do, not what they have done. It’s the complete opposite of Marc Bergevin’s philosophy, highlighted perfectly by the Brendan Gallagher extension, a deal based on everything Gallagher had accomplished rather than what his value would be moving forward.

A major factor in this shift is the age at which players are signing their long-term deals. Here’s a look at when each of the Canadiens’ core players locked in:

• Nick Suzuki – signed his extension at 22 years old
  
  

• Cole Caufield – 22 years old
  
  

• Kaiden Guhle – 23 years old
  
  

• Lane Hutson – 21 years old
  
  

• Juraj Slafkovský – 20 years old
  
  

• Noah Dobson – signed his extension at 25 years old
  
  

The Good

Nick Suzuki is on one of the best value contracts in the NHL. He’s a legitimate first-line center making second-line money. On top of his on-ice impact, he’s an incredible leader with major responsibilities in the locker room. Getting that kind of player and person for under $8 million per year is a rare and massive win for the organization.

Suzuki’s deal also set the tone for the team’s salary structure. It allowed the Habs to extend Caufield and Slafkovský for below market value, particularly Caufield, who easily could’ve earned closer to $8.5 million elsewhere.

There’s a clear culture being built in Montreal; one rooted in trust, accountability, and a shared goal of winning. The team’s core players have all bought into the idea of taking slightly less to give management flexibility to build a Stanley Cup contender.

The latest example is Lane Hutson, who just signed an 8-year, $8.85 million AAV deal fresh off winning the Calder Trophy as a rookie defenseman after posting 66 points. That’s an incredible number for a player at his position, and most teams would have had to pay north of $10 million annually for that kind of talent. But again, this speaks to the belief in management and the culture they’ve created, players are willing to sacrifice a bit financially for the bigger picture.

The Outlier

Then there’s Noah Dobson, whose 8-year, $9.5 million contract currently stands as the team’s highest AAV. However, this situation is a bit different. The deal came as part of a sign-and-trade, meaning Montreal had to pay a slight premium to secure his rights before finalizing the extension. His fit within this new culture wasn’t fully known at the time, and these types of transactions always come with a bit of added cost.

The Past Mistakes

Of course, we can’t ignore the Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson contracts, two long-term deals signed under Marc Bergevin that haven’t aged well. Both players have transitioned into bottom-six roles in the second halves of their contracts while still being paid like top-six forwards.

But under this new regime, those kinds of mistakes feel like a thing of the past. There’s been no sign that management is willing to hand out long-term extensions to older players. The philosophy has completely shifted, it’s a new era in Montreal, one built on foresight and smart financial structure.

What Comes Next?

As the Canadiens continue to build toward contention, one question lingers: what’s the next big contract?

Will management wait for Gallagher and Anderson’s deals to expire before spending big again? Or could they find a way to move one of those contracts as early as next summer to make room for another major addition?

One thing’s for sure, this front office has earned the fanbase’s trust when it comes to contract decisions. And with this culture in place, the Habs’ financial future has never looked brighter.