It was just a matter of time until a talented player would reset the market, but few expected it to be Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov. The Russian star signed an eight-year, $136 million contract on Tuesday. The deal, which takes effect at the beginning of the 2026-27 season, sees the player earn $17 million in Average Annual Value (AAV) per season.

Kaprizov didn’t just become the new NHL leader in AAV; he smashed the previous high of $14 million per season that Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl received in his eight-year extension. Perhaps a player like Mitch Marner could have approached that number. His agent, Darren Ferris, indicated he wanted to take the player on a tour around the NHL to see what was out there, but the former Toronto Maple Leafs player was set on joining the Vegas Golden Knights agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal worth $12 million per season. The Wild didn't want to let Kaprizov walk, and after reports that the player turned down $16 million, here we are at $17 million.

This $17 million contract is the new benchmark, and there is one player who is an even bigger threat to reset the market: the hard-to-dispute No. 1 player in the NHL, Connor McDavid. While reports suggested McDavid could take less money with the Oilers if he chooses to stay, it’s hard to know if that's true after Kaprizov set the market into a state of uncertainty. The salary cap is projected to be $104 million for 2026-27. If McDavid took the maximum allowable percentage of the cap, he could command as high as $20.8 million per season. And while he probably doesn’t demand that much, how do you not command $17.5 million per year if Kaprizov got $17 million?

Why Connor McDavid Shouldn't Consider An Oilers Discount After Kaprizov SigningNews that Minnesota Wild superstar left winger Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year contract extension Tuesday sent ripple effects throughout the NHL – most notably, in Edmonton, where Oilers dynamo Connor McDavid is in need of a contract extension.

This financial escalation directly affects the Maple Leafs, who are still looking to improve their forward depth and would like to acquire a top-six winger following Marner's absence. What does this escalation mean for other players in the top-10 or top-20 in the NHL?

The Maple Leafs have about $20.3 million in cap space for 2026-27 based on a roster of 18 players. Their defense and goaltending are essentially locked in; they need forwards. A player like Kyle Connor would certainly fit that bill of an elite winger. With 97 points in 82 games with the Winnipeg Jets, he certainly could have commanded $11 million per season in his next contract. But maybe that’s now $14 or $15 million after seeing what Kaprizov got. Jack Eichel is in the final year of an eight-year contract. Perhaps Vegas gets a discount to keep the player and flex the tax advantage, but he’s probably a $14–$15 million guy otherwise, if not more. What about second-line forwards? Does a player like Alex Tuch get $9 million in this new financial landscape? It’s hard to argue against it based on what we’ve seen.

Why The Maple Leafs’ Best Chance to Replace Mitch Marner Will Come At The 2026 NHL Trade DeadlineIt’s been a quiet August for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and unless something unforeseen happens before training camp, the team’s roster could head into camp as it is currently constructed. This means there is no direct replacement for Mitch Marner, who departed the organization in June in a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Suddenly, $20.3 million doesn’t look like a ton of money for Toronto to work with, though they could certainly clear out more. In this instance, the Leafs weren’t the market setters, as Minnesota paid what they had to for the player to not entertain offers. But it doesn’t mean they are thrilled about seeing Kaprizov get that kind of salary. Just think about the money Auston Matthews will command when he’s eligible for a contract extension on July 1, 2027.

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It’s been 20 years since Quebec City lost its beloved Nordiques thanks to the need for a new building and the weakness of the Canadian dollar, but last night at Centre Videotron, Quebec showed it was ready for another team. The Centre Videotron was filled to the brim for the preseason tilt between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators. While the Sens were technically the local team, the Habs were clearly the crowd’s favourite.

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A Fantastic First

Martin St-Louis had decided to test some new lines in this second-to-last preseason game, and one of his newly formed combinations wasted no time in paying dividends. Ivan Demidov may not have gotten an assist, but it was his play that led to the only goal of the first frame. The puck went from him, to Mike Matheson, to Alex Newhook, to Oliver Kapanen and finally, to the back of the net. The crowd erupted with joy as the Canadiens took a 1-0 lead.

Still fighting for a place in the lineup, Florian Xhekaj dropped the gloves against Jan Jenik, and if the younger Xhekaj couldn’t get a win against Nicholas Deslauriers last week, he certainly did this time. It was a spirited fight that saw him get the better of his opponent, much to the delight of everyone in attendance, especially the Canadiens players who weren’t playing but were watching from a box above the press gallery.

By making changes to his lines, the bench boss was clearly hoping to see a renewed level of effort from his men, and he certainly did. Demidov was relentless on the forecheck, forcing two turnovers. Kirby Dach dove in desperation to break up a shorthanded chance he created by missing the puck on a back pass. After 20 minutes, the Canadiens were up 1-0, and spirits were flying high in Quebec.

The Pack Mentality

St-Louis said earlier in camp that he wanted to see a pack mentality, and he was served in the second frame. After the Canadiens had scored another two goals, Hayden Hodgson hit Alex Newhook from behind, and the Habs collectively took exception. Carrier (who had scored the third goal) flew to his teammate's defense. Once that tilt was over, Xhekaj and Struble were talking to the Senators by center ice, and whatever was said led to two more fights breaking off. Jenik came out of it worse for wear, bleeding profusely.

It seems like the days of the Canadiens being labelled “soft” are truly over. Of course, being three defensemen down is not a brilliant outcome, but the coach wanted to see his team play harder to be more physical. Based on tonight, that box can be checked.

After the game, the bench boss said:

I liked how we behaved as a pack; we stuck together from a physical and grit standpoint, but what I liked even more was how we played hockey together as a pack. I think we played an excellent game, and we were there for one another.

- St-Louis on his team's performance

When Things Go Too Far

There’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed, especially when it comes to preseason hockey, and tonight, former Hab Nick Cousins crossed that line. To quote Friends, he was so far over the line that the line was a dot to him. In the final frame, the Canadiens’ rookie avoided his hit by the boards, and the Senators forward then decided to slash the Russian player in a very aggressive manner. St-Louis didn’t seem overly worried about Demidov in his post-game press conference, but things could have turned out very badly.

Ivan Demidov first dodged a boarding hit by Nick Cousins, then he was slashed on the arm/wrist with a dirty two handed axe chop.

He looked in visible pain afterwards. pic.twitter.com/PyZkv7mWrt

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 1, 2025

What should be taken away from this 5-0 win over the Senators, though, is not only the rough stuff, but the fact that several Habs players shone brightly. Demidov was an absolute force, and the truth of the matter is, if you let him control the puck too much, he will burn you. He finished his night with two assists, but was also instrumental in a couple of other goals. Kapanen had a strong game as well, putting six shots on net and scoring a goal. Newhook also picked up a pair of assists, and the line meshed very well.

As for Patrik Laine, who found himself on a line with Joe Veleno and Owen Beck, the coach said he thought he played very well at even strength throughout the game. The big Finn also scored a power-play goal and got three shots on net; it was a good response to what was a significant demotion.

Dach also had a solid game, not only because of his backchecking effort in the first frame, but offensively, he was very much involved and chasing the puck hard when the Habs weren’t in possession. He had two shots and got a goal and an assist, the lamplighter was a fantastic piece of hand-eye coordination as well, batting in a saucer pass for the goal. As always, Lane Hutson was very noticeable, with plenty of twists and turns that led to him scoring a goal and an assist as well.

(つ•—•)つ 🚨

MTL 5, OTT 0#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/hRr5czvL80

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 1, 2025

Jakub Dobes saved the 16 shots he faced for the shutout, and it was also an excellent night for Brendan Gallagher, who was named the first star of the game thanks to his three assists and heard the sold-out building chant “Gally, Gally, Gally!” as it was announced.

Will tonight’s events alter St-Louis’ plans for the last preseason game? He’s giving himself a few days to think about it…

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