'I Can Assure You of That': Darren Dreger Reveals Big Number in Talks About Lane Hutson's Contract

During an appearance on the show 'First Up', insider Darren Dreger revealed that the Montreal Canadiens' star defenseman could earn more than $9.5 million per season in his next contract.

Elliotte Friedman also discussed Lane Hutson's potential contract in his recent podcast.

This confirms that the young defenseman is on the verge of becoming one of the highest-paid players on the team.

It was predictable that this revelation would spark an immediate reaction among fans, especially considering that Hutson has played only one season in the NHL. I must admit that it was an incredible season, but it's still a small sample size.

The current NHL market context helps explain this evaluation.

As reported by RDS, comparables like Luke Hughes (7 years, $63M) and Jackson LaCombe (8 years, $72M) have raised the bar for young defensemen. All the more so since I truly think Hutson is better than those two.

And if we add to that the record contract of Kirill Kaprizov (8 years, $136M with the Minnesota Wild), it becomes clear that the market is booming.

Player agent Olivier Fortier, in an interview with RDS, reminded that teams remain cautious, even though the salary cap will rise to $104M in 2026-2027.

Personally, I believe Montreal would be wise to secure Hutson long term before his value climbs even higher. I have a feeling that in 3-4 years, we'll be looking at his contract and saying it's a bargain.