Lane Hutson contract extension: NHL analyst updates what's going on behind closed doors between Canadiens & star D-man

The Montreal Canadiens don’t appear to be in a rush to extend star blue liner Lane Hutson this offseason, despite ongoing conversations.

NHL analyst Marco D’Amico of RG Media shared his insights into what he’s heard behind closed doors regarding the contract extension talks between the Habs and the Calder Trophy winner. During an interview on The Shaun Starr Show published on August 18, D’Amico delved into the situation involving Hutson’s next deal.

D’Amico provided this update:

“We'll never really know exactly, but from what I was told, there's no one really driving the conversations. It's a very amicable back and forth.”

The comments highlight how there is consistent communication, but nothing concrete thus far. Despite the lack of solid updates, the Canadians and Lane Hutson’s camp continue to work toward making a deal happen.

D’Amico added:

“Generally speaking, you know when, when people think, when people have no news, they think there's no conversation. It's quite the opposite. They're in constant communication, and it's like the idea is there's no immediate rush to get something done right now, simply because we're entering kind of a new era for signing contracts.”

The lack of a sense of urgency is not a reflection of a disregard for getting a deal done. It’s more a reflection of the certainty in that one will eventually get done. As such, neither Lane Hutson nor the Canadiens is panicking at this point.

Ultimately, a deal could get done sooner than Canadiens fans think. It could just be a question of hammering out the final details.

Check out D’Amico’s comments from the 6:30 mark onwards:

What Lane Hutson’s next contract with Canadiens could look like

Hutson could sign a deal similar to the ones Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar got - Source: Imagn

D’Amico also touched on the AAV Lane Hutson’s next contract could be. He focused on comparables such as Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, and Brock Faber. Each star blue liner signed a substantial contract coming out of their entry-level contracts.

As such, the Canadiens could use their deals as a reference for Hutson’s next contract. D’Amico pointed out how the aforementioned three defensemen signed deals between 8.6 and 9.6% of the salary cap ceiling at the time their deals were signed.

By that measure, Hutson would sign a deal of about $9 to $9.5 million, based on a salary cap ceiling of $105 million in 2026-27. That’s the sort of ballpark fans can expect for Lane Hutson’s next contract.

The Canadiens may end up waiting to see what sort of numbers Hutson puts up in his second season. That situation could determine how comfortable the team is with signing the rising star to a hefty contract.