NHL Rumours: Update on Contract Talks Between Lane Hutson and the Montreal Canadiens

Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours from the crew at Last Word on Hockey. Hockey is finally back and we have a four-game slate coming at us this evening. While teams have their rosters set for the upcoming season, some teams are focusing on locking in their pieces for the future. One of those teams is the Montreal Canadiens. In this edition of NHL Rumours, we focus on the contract talks between the Habs and Lane Hutson.

All NHL rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.

NHL Rumours: Update on Contract Talks Between the Canadiens and Lane Hutson

Rumour: On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman speaks on the ongoing contract talks between the Canadiens and Lane Hutson and how the two sides have become emotional in negotiations.

Analysis: Friedman mentions that the talks are giving off the same vibes as what the Minnesota Wild dealt with with Kirill Kaprizov leading up to his new extension. While the two sides seem to be in the same ballpark with term and money, which Friedman doubles down on by saying eight years at $9ish million per season, the logistics of the deal are what has to two sides at odds.

The logistics he is speaking of have to do with the differences in taxes between Canada and areas of the United States. The Canadiens pitched a Canadian RCA (Retirement Compensation Arrangement), which would help lessen the tax burden on Hutson’s contract. In turn, this would help the Canadiens keep the AAV lower. Hutson’s camp disagreed with this, which is why we’re at a standstill with the contract.

When it comes to actual money, the two sides are not far apart. Friedman mentions that the Canadiens were slightly below $9 million on an eight-year deal while Hutson’s camp was slightly above $9 million. This is good news for both sides as they know there is a deal to be had, just a couple of small hurdles to jump.

Leverage on the Side of the Canadiens

This negotiation is a rare one in the sense that the team essentially holds all the leverage. Outside the play of Hutson (which has been magnificent), he doesn’t have anything else that most RFAs would have entering negotiations. The biggest one is that Hutson cannot entertain an offer sheet. This is because he is a 10.2(c) RFA. What that means is that he does not meet the minimum requirements to receive an offer sheet. He would need three years of NHL experience before he is able to do this or have arbitration rights. Hutson currently has neither of these options. This negates any other team swooping in and trying to handcuff the Canadiens. While this doesn’t seem like it would have become an issue regardless, as both the team and player are very interested in getting a deal done, it does strip the Hutson camp of a negotiation tactic.

No Need to Panic for the Canadiens

Regardless of how the situation goes, the Canadiens and their fans have no need to panic. There will be a deal between Hutson and the Canadiens. And it sounds like it will be at least close to the vicinity of the contract signed by Noah Dobson earlier in the offseason. This will be a major win for both parties and will keep the reigning Calder Trophy winner and fan favourite with the organization long term.