Habs Cap Crunch, Demidov’s Next Deal and Gallagher’s Place

Montreal’s salary-cap picture is doing what it usually does - making everyone in the room squint a little harder. The next contract watch on Demidov adds another layer, because once a young talent starts getting expensive, the chessboard changes fast. Gallagher also remains part of the conversation, which tells you this isn’t just about today’s roster - it’s about how the Canadiens want this thing built going forward.