Hutson’s Development Could Impact Canadiens Summer Plans

The Montreal Canadiens have found a gem in Lane Hutson, and locking him down as soon as possible may quickly become priority Number 1 going into the offseason.

Nobody, not even NHL betting odds, though the Canadiens would be where they are right now – in the thick of the playoff mix – when they were sitting in 32nd place just seven weeks ago.

A major reason for that has been the rapid development of 20-year-old rookie, Lane Hutson.

After a good, albeit bumpy start to the season, Hutson has played top-pair minutes for the Montreal Canadiens and has thrived in the role since being paired with Mike Matheson.

Furthermore, he’s also been given the reigns to the team’s top power play unit; routinely feeding Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine for some inspiring goals.

In short, Hutson is everywhere for the Montreal Canadiens, and he’s been rather productive; posting three goals and 32 assists for 35 points in 43 games; leading all rookies in the NHL in scoring, as a defenceman.

Hutson is currently in the second year of his three-year, entry-level contract, and will thus be able to negotiate an extension with him as soon as July 1, 2025.

At the rate he’s been performing, the Canadiens may look to get that done sooner than later.

Montreal Canadiens Rookie Sensation Continues To Grow

Hutson has been quite the revelation for the Montreal Canadiens so far and one of the major pieces that have fueled the club’s push up the standings in December.

Not only did he win the Rookie of the Month honours in the NHL for the month of December, but he’s carried that momentum with him into January, posting three goals and 21 assists for 24 points in his last 21 games.

Those are the kind of offensive numbers one would expect from a first-line center, not a rookie defenceman.

Although the defensive side of the game well eventually come, Hutson has already improved by leaps and bounds; breaking up plays with his on-ice positioning and surprising his opponents with his strength along the boards.

It’s way too small a sample size to declare Hutson to be the Montreal Canadiens’ number 1 defenceman of the future; but you can likely bet on him improving to the point where he could hold his own on a top-pair on a regular basis.

With the NHL Trade Deadline coming up, and the Canadiens, among other teams in the NHL, needing to make decisions on the fate of their players, GM Kent Hughes may consider hanging on to Mike Matheson. The veteran rearguard has done wonders for Hutson while playing on his off side.

Having that strong piece next to Hutson has allowed the young defenceman room to grow on the ice and play a more puck-possession style; which has helped generate countless scoring chances and a rater that continues to grow.

But, if Hutson does continue on this path, the Canadiens are going to have to move quick; as it could prove to be an expensive mistake to not lock him up as soon as possible.

Comparable Defencemen Looking For Contracts

Hutson’s only 45 games into his NHL career, but it seems like a safe bet that he’ll, at the very least, be an electric top-3 defenceman for the Canadiens for years to come; with the potential of being a superstar for the team down the line (even if some fans think that he’s already reached that status!).

It becomes very tricky for the Canadiens, as Hutson is putting up numbers that surpass the rookie seasons of some of the best defencemen in the NHL.

Take Adam Fox for example. He was able to register eight goals and 42 points in his first 70 games with the Rangers, only to follow that up with five goals and 47 points in just 55 games during the shortened 2020-2021 season.

He was handsomely rewarded for his significant on-ice improvement with a 7-year, $66.5M contract; which comes out to a $9.5M cap hit.

Just a month before Fox broke the bank, so too did another American defenceman in Quinn Hughes. The Norris-winner had just finished 41-point season, in just 56 games, and was able to extract a 6-year, $47.1M contract with a very friendly $7.85M cap hit.

Just one season prior, Hughes had put up an impressive rookie campaign; registering eight goals and 53 points in just 68 games. He was ultimately edged out of the Calder race by another young defensive phenom in Cale Makar, but it was clear already then that he would be a special defenceman.

Even Makar , who had put up a point-per-game season with eight goals and 44 points in 44 games for the Avalanche during the 2020-2021 season, was able to extract a 6-year, $54M ($9M cap hit).

Why is this important? Because these three young defencemen set a new price tag and precedent for young defencemen.

Since then, other elite youngsters coming out of their entry-level contract were afforded some top-tier money.

Look no further than down the 417, as Jake Sanderson, who put up two very respectable 32 and 38-point seasons with the Ottawa Senators, was able to secure an 8-year, $64M ($8.05M cap hit).

The Twin Cities got their own version of this with Brock Faber, a young defenceman that came in and played at an elite level for the Minnesota Wild, and simply continued to improve at an elite rate.

Possessing a more well-rounded game, rather than Hutson’s high-octane, offensive style, Faber was runner-up in the 2024 Calder race, but won the bag in the end; signing an 8-year, $68M contract ($8.5M).

Are we starting to see a trend here?

Montreal Canadiens Learning Moments

If the Montreal Canadiens continue to see Lane Hutson rise up the ranks and maintain this torrid offensive pace, while steadily improving his defence, the path forward this offseason becomes clear.

For a club that has made a routine out of signing their youngsters prior to the conclusion of their ELCs, general manager Kent Hughes will likely seek to lock down his budding star. The club has not wanted to test what negotiations would look like for their emerging young core with an extra year of data to build on, in the hopes of ensuring their best youngsters don’t become too expensive.

With the ability to sign Hutson as soon as July 1, 2025; it may be that a couple of internal contract signings, rather than a big free-agent, will be the bigger priority for the Canadiens this summer; with a Hutson extension and Ivan Demidov‘s long-waited arrival.