Montreal’s Lane Hutson is the latest young NHL defenseman to cash in with a major contract extension.
The Canadiens announced that Hutson, 21, will average $8.85 million in the eight-year deal that he agreed to on Monday. The $70.8 million contract will start next season and run through 2033-34.
Hutson won rookie of the year in 2024-25 after recording six goals and 60 assists. He tied the all-time NHL record for assists by a rookie defenseman (Larry Murphy in 1980-81), and his 66 points set a record for a Canadiens rookie defenseman.
“There wouldn’t be an eight-year deal if we didn’t believe in who you were at your core,” Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes told reporters about his conversation over the weekend with Hutson. “The kind of person he is, how committed he is to being his best version of himself but also being the best version of a teammate.”
The NHL market has been reset this month for defensemen coming out of their entry-level contracts.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, 22, signed a seven-year, $63 million contract ($9 million average) on Oct. 1. He averages more than his All-Star brothers Quinn ($7.85 million) and Jack ($8 million).
A day later, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe signed an eight-year, $72 million extension for the same $9 million cap hit. He will be the Ducks’ highest-paid player next season.
This is the last season that eight-year contracts are possible. The new collective bargaining agreement calls for a maximum of seven years for players re-signing with their teams or six years for players signing elsewhere.
