Canadiens Lane Hutson Excited For Contract Extension

Montreal Canadiens phenom Lane Hutson was quite clear when discussing his rookie season in the NHL.

He loves playing for the Habs, perhaps even as much as the fans love the 21-year-old defenceman.

“It’s a special place to play,” explained Hutson. “Having our young core, having all these guys that are still coming up. It’s only going to get younger in here, and we’re just excited about what the future can hold.”

A quick look at the first powerplay unit tells the tale in Montreal. With Ivan Demidov (19), Juraj Slafkovsky (21), Hutson (21), Cole Caufield (24), and Nick Suzuki (25) driving the charge, the youth movement isn’t imminent, it’s already underway.

It’s also worth noting the Canadiens were the youngest team to ever qualify for the playoffs, putting a very positive on their encouraging 2024-25 season.

Hutson played a key role, both from an individual and team standpoint. He went above and beyond, putting together one of the best rookie seasons from a defenceman in NHL history.

With six goals and 60 assists to his credit, not only did he quickly establish himself as a game-breaking presence, exactly what the doctor ordered for a team such as the Montreal Canadiens, he also led the team in scoring throughout the playoffs, earning five assists in five games.

Anyway you cut it, Hutson has exceeded all expectations, which is quite a statement when we consider the expectations were unreasonably high to begin with.

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Lane Hutson Contract Extension

Of course, a fantastic season rookie seasons translates to a significant raise, a situation that the team can address as early as July 1.

Hutson won’t come cheap, and though that’s usually a concern for management and fans, in this case it should be seen as a positive investment that should ensure one of the most dynamic defencemen in the league will serve as the last foundation piece the upstart Canadiens need in place before pivoting to lesser needs.

Needs such as finding a centre for the second line.

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The salary cap is set to explode over the course of the next few years, a reality that must be kept in mind when projecting Hutson’s potential contract. We’ll discuss the comparable contracts at a later date, but if the Canadiens do want to lock Hutson up for eight years, the negotiations are likely to start in the $10M per season range, perhaps even more.

Fortunately, Hutson seems eager to secure his future with the club.

“I hope so,” he said, when asked about the chance he’ll quickly sign a contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

That word, hope, is fitting.

While he hopes his agent and the team can find common ground, Habs fans can soon rest easy knowing most of their hope, which centres on Hutson’s excellence, is well-founded.