Canadiens Rumors: Latest Projections Has Lane Hutson's Next Contract Lower Than Expected

Lane Hutson’s breakout, Calder-winning rookie season screams “eight figures,” but the contract math points to something closer to Luke Hughes’ number than a $10M-plus splash, according to speculation from Montreal Canadiens' analysts Renaud Levoie, Nicolas Cloutier, and Marco D'Amico.

Like Hughes, Hutson will be a 10.2(c) RFA coming off his ELC (no arbitration, no offer sheets), so his leverage is limited to the timeline pressure of next camp. 

That’s a big reason both Hughes (7×$9M) and Jackson LaCombe (8×$9M) settled at $9M AAV, and LaCombe actually had more external leverage (arb rights, offer-sheet risk, and more UFA years purchased). 

Strip away the highlight reels and you’re left with the same market anchors and fewer UFA seasons for Montreal to buy, which tilts the AAV toward $9M.

Elliotte Friedman on Lane Hutson’s contract negotiations with the Habs:

“I don’t think 8 years x $9 million (AAV) is too far off…I think they’ve been working at it, more than they wanna let on.” pic.twitter.com/oQl9X78ToO

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 3, 2025

Montreal also has every incentive to hold the cap line. 

The Canadiens have been building a Florida-style “cap culture,” keeping core deals clustered under Nick Suzuki’s $7.875M and avoiding a runaway comp that forces everyone else up. That doesn’t mean Hutson has to feel underpaid. 

The team can make him whole with structure: heavy early signing bonuses while they’re still flexible, front-loaded cash, and a Retirement Compensation Arrangement (RCA) that defers income into a trust and lets more of his earnings be taxed later at U.S. rates. 

Net result: a contract that looks like Hughes/LaCombe on paper but pays Hutson like a $10M player in real dollars.

"On an eight-year deal, Hutson is 9-ish."

In the latest 32 Thoughts, @FriedgeHNIC and @sportsnetkyle speculate on what Lane Hutson’s next deal could be worth, and more!

🎧: https://t.co/4Ke7PxMiLA

Presented by @GMCcanada pic.twitter.com/3E905DQ6MK

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 3, 2025

So the most likely landing zone is a long deal around 7–8 years at $9M AAV, dressed with bonus/RCA mechanics that boost take-home without blowing up the cap. 

A shorter bridge (4–5 years in the high-$7M to mid-$8M range) would raise his leverage for a second bite later, but Montreal’s cleanest path runs through a Hughes-style number that keeps the AAV under $10M while quietly delivering star money.

Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images