Lane Hutson contract: 'What makes the most sense for him is the Auston Matthews model'

In fact, what Basu explains is that it’s pretty unlikely that the defenseman will sign long-term as early as this summer because it doesn’t really sit well with anyone. In fact, the only scenario in which it would make sense is if Hutson wants to buy himself some financial security and is willing to sign this summer, knowing that he wouldn’t necessarily get his full value.

And if that’s the case, the Habs won’t be slow to sign him… but it’s not as simple as that.

In a world where Hutson wants to maximize his value, it’s in his best interest not to sign this summer and (once again) go out and break everything next year… before signing a transition contract to get as close as possible to autonomy.

That way, he’d earn a more than respectable sum over the next few years… and just before reaching autonomy, he’d have excellent arguments to sign a monstrous contract that would be much bigger than what the Habs would offer him this summer or next (if he signs for eight years).

And obviously, if the player wants to maximize his value, this is the most logical avenue for him. The case of Cale Makar is another good example: he signed a six-year contract at $9 million a year… and from 2027-28, he will receive a huge salary increase.

And with the salary cap only set to soar over the next few years, players are well advised to be patient before signing an eight-year contract.

But of course, there’s also a world in which Hutson isn’t necessarily keen to go for every penny possible… and seeing the other pieces of the core who signed before him opt for a more team-friendly approach could help the Canadiens’ cause if they want to sign him for eight years this summer.

And we know: when Kent Hughes gets along with a player, it’s because he got what he wanted.

Overtime

– Interesting.

– According to Anthony Beauvillier, the party was pogued on the plane when Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s record. [HF]

– Read more.