Hutson Contract Extension With Canadiens Reportedly Advancing

All eyes are on the Montreal Canadiens and Lane Hutson now that a few high-end NHL defencemen have signed rich contract extensions.

Luke Hughes recently signed a seven-year contract extension with the New Jersey Devils that carries an annual average value (AAV) of $9 million, while Jackson LaCombe signed an eight-year deal that also has a $9 million AAV.

Given that Hutson easily won the Calder Trophy in his rookie season, not to mention his immediate and undeniable impact on Montreal’s playoff hopes, it stands to reason that the 21-year-old defenceman will likely sign one of the richest contracts in Canadiens franchise history, however, the number may not be as high as we originally expected.

While looking at comparable contracts prior to the Hughes and LaCombe deals, we suggested Hutson would end up earning about $9.8 million per season, due to the fact that the salary cap was set to rise significantly.

MUST READ: Comparable NHL Contracts For Hutson’s Mega Extension

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Habs have already engaged in relatively detailed discussions with the Hutson camp, and the final price tag could be very similar to those established by the Ducks and the Devils.

“One of my theories is that the Canadiens have been trying to keep this under wraps,” opined Friedman. “And that they’ve been trying to hammer out this deal, and get it done.

“When Hughes signed and Lacombe signed, people were sitting there saying, ‘Oh no, Hutson is $10(million), or $11 (million).’ I don’t think the eight times nine for Lacombe really hurts Montreal as much as some people think. As a matter of fact, I would guess that whatever these two sides are talking about is not far from there.”

It’s important to remember LaCombe is three years older than Hutson, and that the Ducks had to face the threat of losing him to free agency in the future, or possible a hostile offer sheet.

Those factors are not in play for Hutson, as he’s not eligible for arbitration.

Lane Hutson with an absolute bullet on the PP. He froze everyone with quick moves.

3-1 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/o2FfWlaO44

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 28, 2025

Friedman went on to suggest that there’s still work to be done, but neither party is too far off from their ideal number.

“On an eight-year deal, Hutson is nine-ish, I could see the Canadiens try to come in a little lower, I could see Hutson and his camp try to come in a little higher. But, I just think that this is one of those deals where I get the sense that, let’s just say we’re at the five-yard line, I think Hutson’s camp has an idea of where he wants to be, the Canadiens have an idea of where they want to be, and while I think they’re in the same kind of general vicinity, I don’t know if those last five-yards are going to be easy.”

It’s essential to note that Friedman was mostly offering an opinion on the situation, and while that’s perfectly normal in the industry, he was very careful in his wording. The only thing he stated without the veil of an opinion was that the two parties have been working hard at getting a contract extension done.

“I don’t think eight times nine is far off,” he said. “I still don’t think eight times nine-ish is unrealistic for this player. But I am thinking the Canadiens want the player to give a bit, and the player wants the team to give a bit. And somebody is going to have to bend to get this done before the season. But they’ve been working at it, more than they want to let on.”

Whether the Montreal Canadiens and Lane Hutson come to an agreement on a deal before the season is a rather important factor, as there’s a chance Hutson could once again defy the odds and put together yet another historic year.

It will also have an impact on the team’s ability to add more talent down the road, or secure some of their young players to similar deals. Fortunately, the Montreal Canadiens already secured the services of captain Nick Suzuki, sniper Cole Caufield, and youngster Juraj Slafkovsky prior to the announcement the salary cap was set to skyrocket, saving them millions of dollars in the process.

All Montreal Canadiens and NHL salary cap information via Cap Wages.