Lane Hutson Expected to Cost Canadiens a Fortune as New Contract Details Surface
Photo credit: JEROME MIRON | Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Lane Hutson is the most promising defenseman in the Montreal Canadiens organization, and he's expected to turn heads once again next season. In 2026, Hutson's current contract will come to an end, and several details suggest the young blueliner will end up costing the organization a true fortune.
At just 21 years old, Lane Hutson represents the future of the Canadiens' blue line alongside Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, and David Reinbacher.
The native of Holland, Michigan, was phenomenal in 2024-25, tallying 66 points in 82 games and ultimately winning the prestigious Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's rookie of the year.
His performance now ranks him 5th all-time in NHL history for most points by a rookie defenseman. He trails only Larry Murphy (76 points in 1980-81), Brian Leetch (71 points in 1988-89), Gary Suter (68 points in 1985-86), and Phil Housley (66 points in 1982-83).
To give you a better idea of just how immense Hutson's potential is, he surpassed legends such as Raymond Bourque (65 points in 1979-80), Chris Chelios (64 points in 1984-85), and Nicklas Lidstrom (60 points in 1991-92).
Quinn Hughes (53 points in 2019-20) ranks 15th, while Cale Makar (50 points in 2019-20) and Moritz Seider (50 points in 2021-22) rank 18th and 19th respectively.
And as if that weren't enough, Lane Hutson continues to improve his numbers season after season. He could realistically hit over 75 points next season.
Lane Hutson's next contract won't compare to Noah Dobson's
Many experts are currently weighing in on Lane Hutson's next contract. According to Brian Wilde, he will likely command around the same salary as Noah Dobson annually - that is, $9.5 million per year.
On the other hand, Tony Marinaro believes that Hutson will ask for more than Dobson - and I fully agree with him.
Why? Because Lane Hutson and his agent are in no rush to finalize his next deal. They know very well that the defenseman is likely to reach another level next season.
Recently, I reported that, based on Hutson's numbers in the final quarter of the 2024-25 season, he was projected to score around 80 points next season. However, his performance has only continued to rise. So if he was on pace for 80 points a few months ago, he might exceed that in the coming months.
With a Calder Trophy in hand and a potential 80-point (or more) season in 2025-26, forget comparing him to Noah Dobson - and be prepared for a salary in the $10 to $11.5 million range annually on a maximum-term deal.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 25 | 300 ANSWERS Lane Hutson Expected to Cost Canadiens a Fortune as New Contract Details Surface What do you think Lane Hutson's next annual salary will be? | ||
| Under 7 million | 36 | 12 % |
| Between 7 and 8,5 million | 93 | 31 % |
| Between 8,6 and 10 million | 133 | 44.3 % |
| Over 10 million | 38 | 12.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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