NHL players are deservedly starting to receive their due on new contracts.
With the salary cap finally rising to the levels that were anticipated before the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen some massive money handed out in recent weeks.
Kirill Kaprizov's record-breaking extension with the Minnesota Wild stands above all, though several young defensemen have cashed in pretty nicely themselves.
On Wednesday, it was Luke Hughes inking a seven-year, $63 million deal with the New Jersey Devils, and then on Thursday came Jackson LaCombe's eight-year, $72 million pact to extend his time with the Anaheim Ducks.
Fans are still adjusting to this new reality and contract landscape in the NHL, which has some markets nervous about their star talent that's next in line for a big payday. Montreal Canadiens star defenseman Lane Hutson is one of them, and while many believe the extensions for Hughes and LaCombe could bump up his price, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that might not be the case during the latest episode of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast."
"So one of my theories is that the Canadiens have been trying to keep this kind of under wraps and that they've been trying to hammer out this deal and get it done," Friedman said.
"I don't think the 8 times 9 for LaCombe really hurts Montreal as much as some people think. As a matter of fact, I would guess that whatever these two sides are talking about is not far from there. On an eight-year deal, Hutson is nineish. I could see the Canadiens trying to come in a little bit lower; I could see Hutson and his camp trying to come in a little bit higher," Friedman added.
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The 21-year-old is about to enter the final season of the three-year, $2.85 million entry-level contract he signed with the Canadiens in 2024.
Hutson's next contract
It would be an absolute home run for the Montreal Canadiens if they are, in fact, able to extend Lane Hutson to an eight-year deal worth $9 million in average annual salary.
While it does make sense, given his small sample size, that Hutson makes around what Hughes and LaCombe got, his potential and upside are through the roof and could make that contract look like a bargain in short order.
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will surely want to get this done before 2025-26, or at the very least early in the season, because if Hutson takes another big step this year, it could come with a cost for the Canadiens.