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Canadiens Face Big Contract Test with Lane Hutson, Claims Pierre McGuire

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 7:45 AM ET

Montreal Canadiens rookie Lane Hutson can call himself a Calder Trophy winner and a core piece of the team’s future following his breakout 2025 season.

That, however, might not mean great news for a Canadiens franchise that once hoped to find it easy to lock him in long-term but could now face a fight to reach a fair agreement to keep him in tow.

Former NHL executive Pierre McGuire shared his view on the looming contract talks appearing on "The Sick Podcast" on Friday.

Pierre McGuire Expects Tough Lane Hutson-Canadiens Negotiations

McGuire made it clear that the Canadiens’ desire to keep Hutson for the foreseeable future is obvious, but he also acknowledged that his agent will aim high in contract negotiations.

“The Canadiens are going to say, '(Hutson) is not too far down the road. We're going to get this deal done because we want to give Lane eight years—we want to keep him as long as we can, and we want him to know how much we appreciate him',” McGuire said about the Canadiens' mindset and message to Hutson. “We're going to negotiate a deal for him before his entry-level (deal) expires. That says a lot to a young player.”

Why hasn't Lane Hutson's deal been done?!#thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/M9FcKsQfyi
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) August 1, 2025

But McGuire didn’t shy away from the business reality either, saying that Hutson's agent will make it impossible for the Canadiens to lowball Hutson.

“The trade (in negotiations between Hutson and the franchise) is going to be, the agent is going to say, ‘Well, then he’s got to be your highest-paid defenseman,’” McGuire said.

Elliotte Friedman Forecasts Similar Structure to Noah Dobson's Deal

McGuire’s comments arrived shortly before Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman touched on the upcoming negotiations on Sunday's episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast.

Friedman said that Hutson’s next deal could land close to the $76 million contract Montreal awarded Noah Dobson in June after trading for the former New York Islanders blueliner.

Dobson's agreement carries a $9.5 million average annual value, and once signed, it reset the Canadiens' pay scale for defensemen, with Dobson topping the franchise's charts without regard for position.

“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.”

Currently on a $950,000 entry-level deal through 2025–26, Hutson will be a restricted free agent next July. If signed long-term, he could join Dobson as the top-paid blueliner on the roster.

Potentially, Hutson could also surpass Dobson and all of his teammates, including Patrik Laine ($8.7M AAV) and Nick Suzuki ($7.875M AAV).

Lane Hutson Instantly Became a Franchise Cornerstone

Hutson led all NHL rookies with 66 points, including 60 assists, during the 2024-25 season on his way to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy award. He averaged top-pairing minutes for the Habs and even scored five points in five playoff games.

NHL.com’s Dan Rosen has already speculated that Hutson could “reset the market” for young defensemen if he continues on his current trajectory.

The Canadiens’ blue line is now built around a youthful core of Hutson, Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, Jayden Struble and David Reinbacher.

That group is under team control for the next several seasons, with Struble and Hutson the only players with NHL experience yet to ink long-term extensions (past the 2027 season) with the team.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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