Insider: 'A Lot of Disappointment' That Lane Hutson Extension Didn't Get Done for Canadiens

Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens defenseman, skates during warmup

After some of the recent stunning extensions that have been signed around the league, among those being talked about as 'Next Man Up', is Lane Hutson, the Montreal Canadiens' young phenom. So much discussion has been circulating about what the dynamic reigning Calder Trophy winner could expect to command on a long-term deal.

But now, on the eve of the regular season opener for the Habs, there's still no agreement, and it appears that Hutson will go into the season on an expiring entry-level deal.

The two sides have been working at it diligently, but according to insider Elliotte Friedman, there's "a lot of disappointment" that an extension didn't get done.

We’re at a stalemate until everyone cools down, because there’s a lot of disappointment this didn’t close...

I believe Lane Hutson wanted to sign before the season. I believe that after several false starts, things progressed to a point where a deal was possible... According to several sources, the Canadiens were slightly below 8 (years) x $9M (AAV), including some deferral for a slight break on the cap hit.

That $72 million total contract value was a bit lower than what Hutson's camp was looking for ("but not ridiculously," writes Friedman). But the player's side, says Friedman, also didn't like the Canadiens' building in deferrals or a Canadian Retirement Compensation Arrangement (RCA), which is a trust used to hold employer contributions for an employee's retirement.

The insider says that both sides would still like to get something done. But for now, it appears that everyone needs to "cool down" and no deal is imminent.

Hutson was named the NHL's top rookie last season after a sensational freshman campaign in which he recorded an eye-popping 60 assists (and 66 points) with 123 blocked shots, while playing 22:44 a night—all as a rookie. He finished 9th in Norris Trophy balloting.