As the 2025-26 season is still a month away, the days are trickling down for teams to reach an agreement with their RFAs that aren’t signed yet. Most of the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]’ fanbase is keeping an eye on the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks]and Mason McTavish, but the Habs’ brass should be keeping a close watch on the Luke Hughes negotiations with the New Jersey Devils. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils] Not that the Canadiens would be interested in acquiring Jack Hughes’ brother, but rather because, like Lane Hutson, he’s a young offensive defenseman, and his deal could be a good indicator of where the market is heading with the new CBA soon coming into force and the salary cap steadily increasing. Canadiens’ Center Depth Is A Big Problem [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-center-depth-is-a-big-problem] Canadiens: Suzuki’s 4 Nations Face Off Snub Wasn’t A Message [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-suzuki-s-4-nations-face-off-snub-wasn-t-a-message] Former Canadiens Player Gets Front Office Job [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/former-canadiens-player-gets-front-office-job] https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/former-canadiens-player-gets-front-office-job According to Sportsnet [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/report-luke-hughes-devils-disagreeing-on-term-for-new-contract/], the sticking point in the Hughes negotiations would be the term. The team wants the 21-year-old to either sign a three-year bridge deal or a full eight-year extension, but the player would rather sign a five-year deal, which would end when his brother’s contract with the Devils also expires. It would make both Hughes brothers unrestricted free agents before the start of the 2030-31 campaign. Speaking to RG.org, the Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald [https://rg.org/news/hockey/devils-gm-tom-fitzgerald-on-luke-hughes-contract-eventually-this-will-get-done] is confident that the younger Hughes’ contractual issue will be settled before the start of the season, as the Devils have no interest in finding themselves in another Dawson Mercer kind of standout, and the GM adds that the player and his agent are also hoping to avoid that. In 155 NHL games, Hughes has picked up 93 points and 44 penalty minutes. That’s a 0.6 point-per-game average, which is a pretty good number for a defenseman. In comparison, Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has 76 points in 162 games, for a 0.47 PPG, and was signed to an eight-year, $8.5 million AAV deal. The Devils' GM also mentions that what fans don’t necessarily realize is that not all teams can spend right up to the cap, and that they may have an internal cap in place, which prevents them from giving too onerous a contract. Whatever term and number the Devils and Hughes settle on, it’s sure to interest Hutson and his agent. Interestingly, Noah Dobson, who has a 0.59 PPG, was signed to an eight-year deal with a $9.5 million AAV by the New York Islanders, but with the Canadiens’ agreement. Will Hughes managed to secure a similar contract coming out of his entry-level deal, despite not having a large sample size. There lies the question. As for Hutson, by recording 66 points in 82 games in his rookie season, he has given himself a 0.80 PPG. Does that put him in a position to break the bank right away, considering the cap increase and everything else? Hard to say. However, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes made a point of differentiating Dobson’s deal and those of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky because the defenseman had more experience and wasn’t just signing his first standard contract. One could argue that his situation is different from Hutson’s, and that’s clearly what Hughes will try to do, especially if New Jersey manages to ink its defenseman to a reasonable contract. With Carey Price’s bonus being paid on Monday, things could start to fall into place in Montreal sooner rather than later… -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
