Montreal Canadiens fans quickly pointed out that Lane Hutson's new contract has a much lower cap hit than Cale Makar's, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. Comparing Makar's second contract to Hutson's shows just how great a signing Kent Hughes made.
There’s nothing surprising about Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar, who’s arguably the best blueliner in the NHL, signing the first deal with an AAV of over $20 million in league history. Some have been quick to point out that his $20.4 million cap hit more than doubles Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson’s $8.85 million cap hit, but it’s like comparing apples and oranges.
Makar signed his contract as a pending UFA with all the leverage in the world; he could demand a high salary. Comparatively, Hutson was a pending 10.2 (c) RFA, meaning he didn’t have arbitration rights and wouldn’t have been eligible for an offer sheet. He had no leverage whatsoever, aside from his talent and how important he is to the Habs. In that sense, Makar getting a monstrous deal in comparison shouldn’t surprise anyone.
However, if we go back to July 24, 2021, when Makar had finished his ELC and needed a new contract, he was days away from being eligible for an offer sheet. Then GM Joe Sakic signed him to a six-year, $9 million cap-hit contract. Sakic couldn’t get Makar to commit to a maximum-term deal, but with Erik Karlsson already at a $11.5 million cap hit and Drew Doughty on an $11 million deal, he still managed to sign him to a $9 million cap-hit deal.
What’s impressive about Hutson’s deal, signed October 14, 2025, four years after Makar’s second contract, is that Kent Hughes signed the talented youngster to a cap hit even lower than Makar’s second contract. When Makar signed, the league was stuck in a flat-cap era brought on by COVID; it wasn’t expected to last long, which is likely why Makar wouldn’t go for eight years.
Four years later, the cap increase was a reality, and Hutson and his people knew it; still, Hughes got him to sign a contract with a cap hit lower than Makar’s in 2021; that’s what’s surprising. Furthermore, with the salary cap set to rise exponentially, Hughes got him to commit to a full eight-year deal, giving his team much-needed predictability in a salary-cap world.
When Hutson’s deal expires at the end of the 2033-34 season, he will be looking for a big pay rise and with reason. Not because he will have been underpaid in NHL terms for years, but because he will be one of the best defensemen in the league and a pending UFA. In all likelihood, he too will be earning over $20 million, but by then, no one will flinch at that number because the cap rising will have made it the norm for top players.
Just like Hughes said when he reached an agreement with Noah Dobson for the sign-and-trade deal with the New York Islanders, Dobson wasn’t in the same situation as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky were when they signed their second contract; it was his third, even if he was still going to be an RFA. At the end of the day, it’s still great for the Canadiens that Hutson is earning less than half of what Makar is making, but it’s not surprising.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
