Big Clue Emerges on Lane Hutson's Next Contract Amount With the Montreal Canadiens

There are a few surprises, and hockey fans have flooded the comments section. Then, a big clue may reveal a lot about the amount of Lane Hutson's next contract.

A new NHL Network ranking is setting social media ablaze, and you'll quickly understand why.

First of all, there's no surprise in seeing Cale Makar take the top spot, and this choice makes perfect sense.

The talented Quinn Hughes comes in 2nd, and the Vancouver Canucks defenseman deserves this position.

Veteran Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning is in 3rd place, while Roman Josi is 4th and Miro Heiskanen is 5th. It's a little further down the list that things get more complicated.

Zach Werenski, star defenseman of the Columbus Blue Jackets, ranks 14th, while Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers is 9th. Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres is 11th, and Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes is 13th.

According to NHL Network, Gustav Forsling of the Florida Panthers is the 6th-best defenseman in the National Hockey League, ahead of Charlie McAvoy (7th) and Adam Fox (8th).

The Montreal Canadiens' new acquisition, Noah Dobson, ranks 15th on the list of the league's top defensemen.

Lane Hutson, who just won the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year, was left out and is not in this top 20.

At the time of writing, this ranking gives Kent Hughes a solid argument, since Noah Dobson is making a strong impression, and it could therefore be suggested to Hutson's camp to aim for a contract similar to that of his new teammate.

However, Lane Hutson seems intent on continuing to impress in 2025-26, and he has more than enough talent to raise the bar much higher in his performances.