Canadiens' Lane Hutson Contract Talks Linked to NJ Devils' Defenseman Extension

Canadiens Staying Patient Regarding Lane Hutson

Hutson, 21, is coming off winning the Rookie of the Year award last season after scoring 66 points, including 60 assists, while logging top-pairing minutes for the Canadiens.

His entry-level contract runs through 2025–26 at a $950,000 cap hit, giving Montreal time to agree with the young blueliner to an extension before he reaches restricted free agency next summer.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said back in May that while extension talks will happen, the timing is flexible.

“For sure we’ll talk to his agent,” Hughes said in May. “I saw that he mentioned he’d like to get his contract settled sooner rather than later. So we’ll call his agent and we’ll see. But it’s not like it’s a priority.”

A Market-Resetting Extension?

NHL insider Pierre McGuire predicted at the start of August that Montreal will aim for an eight-year deal, but he cautioned that Hutson’s camp will try to make him the franchise's highest-paid defenseman.

Elliotte Friedman also forecasted a structure similar to the $76 million contract Montreal awarded Noah Dobson in June, which carries a $9.5 million annual average value.

“I think the cap going up, the market is getting reset,” Friedman said. “If Hutson is going to sign for term, it’s probably going to be up closer to Dobson.”

Robinson, meanwhile, linked Hutson's value to that of Hughes, expecting the Canadiens' blueliner to top his Devils counterpart's deal.

AFP Analytics projected Hughes to sign either a short-term, three-year contract extension worth $5.75 million per season, or a long-term, six-year deal with an annual salary of $8.39 million per year.