MAJOR: Kent Hughes is about to sign two huge contracts
Photo credit: Montreal Hockey Now
Kent Hughes has become a master at signing contracts. He is reportedly on the verge of reaching agreements with two young players on significant contracts, according to Elliotte Friedman.
Indeed, while it may seem that
Cole Caufield was paid handsomely for his performance this year, that's not the case. His 65 points, including 28 goals, are a personal best, and he's only going to get better.
There are two other young players with one year left on their entry-level contracts at $925,000, namely
Juraj Slafkovsky and
Kaiden Guhle. Given their progression, Kent Hughes would be wise to sign them early, and that's exactly his intention.
"According to Elliotte Friedman, the Habs will apparently soon try to sign both Juraj Slafkovsky & Kaiden Guhle to contract extensions."
- Habs on Reddit
Awarding them eight-season contracts now could prove to be a real bargain in the coming years.
For Juraj Slafkovsky, many are calling for an agreement of $8 million per season for 8 years, which makes a lot of sense, in my opinion. He would become the highest-paid player ahead of
Nick Suzuki.
However, knowing Kent Hughes, he will likely try to sign Slaf on similar terms to Cole Caufield, slightly below the captain's salary, as a principle to ensure that his best player remains the highest-paid.
As for Guhle, he should earn slightly less. We're talking between $6.5 and $7 million per year, for 8 years as well, and it would be well-deserved.
This is a situation to monitor, but the earlier Kent Hughes acts on these matters, the less it will cost him.
POLL |
AVRIL 27 | 557 ANSWERS MAJOR: Kent Hughes is about to sign two huge contracts In your opinion, would Juraj Slafkovsky deserve to earn more than Nick Suzuki in two years? |
Yes | 131 | 23.5 % |
No | 426 | 76.5 % |
List of polls |