HIGHLIGHTS
- Lane Hutson has been eligible for an extension since July 1
- The Canadiens star is an RFA next summer and insider Marco D’Amico gave an update on the contract discussions
- Read below to see the full scoop
The Montreal Canadiens have a wonderful core intact, with rookie defenceman and Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson emerging as a massive part of their future in the 2024-25 season as the Habs returned to the playoffs.
Hutson will be an RFA next summer, and he’s been extension-eligible since July 1. While he’s yet to ink a new deal, sources close to RG’s Marco D’Amico confirmed that early talks are very amicable:
“Both parties are in a good space and there’s a good amount of mutual respect, but just very little rush from either party,” said an NHL source on the subject. “I think it gets done eventually and on the longer-term.”
D’Amico noted that the discussions continue to be positive, but they’ve yet to land in the same ballpark in terms of AAV. As D’Amico mentioned, many have looked at Noah Dobson’s mammoth eight-year deal signed with the Canadiens following his sign-and-trade this summer as a potential comparable for Hutson. However, another NHL source explained why Hutson probably won’t sign a similar extension, due to being an RFA and at a different point in his career:
“Dobson is at a different point in his career than Hutson, not to say one is better than the other. But, in the world of contracts, RFA years are worth substantially less than UFA years, and teams generally have to fork up more money for those years when a player could have tested free agency,” said a source.
Hutson, a second-round pick by the Canadiens in 2022, scored six goals and racked up 60 assists last season. He added another five points in the playoffs. Montreal has a special player on their hands, and it’s clear they will be making sure he’s around for the long haul. We just don’t know exactly what that next contract will look like quite yet.
