Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton wanted their Montreal Canadiens to be “in the mix” this season; the team exceeded expectations, qualifying for the playoffs. While the likes of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield played a massive part in that qualification, rookie blueliner Lane Hutson was a key cog in coach Martin St-Louis’ well-oiled machine.
The 21-year-old blueliner will play the last year of his ELC next season, and it’s high time to think about locking him up long term. Hutson’s rookie season was nothing short of historic, and with a Calder Trophy win and an All-Rookie Team spot, it won’t be cheap to extend him.
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Of course, Hughes could wait and see how his second season goes, but Hutson doesn’t look like a sophomore slump candidate to me. If he were to hit a wall, he would have hit it in his first season. Early on in the 2024-25 campaign, I thought teams would study his game and adjust, but as the season progressed, Hutson continued to improve and become even better at eluding his opponents.
The rookie even finished ninth in James Norris Trophy voting, showing his place will soon be near the elite of the league on the blueline. As things stand, Patrik Laine is the highest-paid Canadiens’ player with a $8.7 M cap hit, but the organization didn’t sign his contract. After him, Captain Nick Suzuki is the highest-paid player with a $7.875 M cap hit.
Former GM Marc Bergevin signed that contract, but Hughes still used it to build his salary structure, locking up the other two young forwards of his core to contracts with a lower cap hit. Caufield has a $7.85 million cap hit while Juraj Slafkovsky’s stands at $7.6 million.
On the blueline, Kaiden Guhle gets the highest paycheck with a $5.5 million cap hit, followed by Mike Matheson, whose $4.875 million cap hit could rise next season if he signs an extension, as he is reported to want to do. There’s no doubt whatsoever that Hutson will become the Canadiens’ highest-paid defenseman and even player when he puts pen to paper on an extension.
Hutson has shown such brilliance in his rookie season that comparing him to the league’s best defensemen would be fitting. Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin has an $11 million cap hit, Florida Panthers’ Seth Jones’ stands at $9.5 million, Colorado Avalanche’ Cale Makar’s $9 million for the next two seasons, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes’ is at $7.85 million for the next two seasons, and New Jersey Devils’ Dougie Hamilton’s also stands at $9 million for the subsequent two campaigns. Panthers’ stud defenseman Aaron Ekblad’s contract with the Panthers is up, and he’ll be able to test the market this Summer if he so pleases. There’s no doubt Kent Hughes will be keeping close tabs on those negotiations.
With the salary cap being on the rise and the key role Hutson plays with the Canadiens, it’s hard to imagine Hutson signing for less than $10 M per year. Unless, of course, Hughes can work the same magic he used when he signed Caufield, Slafkovsky, and Guhle to extensions, pitching the team concept and emphasizing the importance of having enough money to go around. Even if he does that successfully, though, Hutson will still become the Canadiens’ highest-paid player, and it will be deserved.
Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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