Montreal Canadiens Projected to Have Saved Over $70 Million on Bargain Lane Hutson Extension

This off-season was already a good one for the Montreal Canadiens, and just days into the 2025/26 campaign, they've made another massive move to lock down a key piece of their future.

Following weeks of speculation, GM Kent Hughes and the organization announced a massive extension for defenseman Lane Hutson on Monday, with the deal coming in at eight-years, $8.85 million per season.

Surprisingly, this deal comes in at less AAV than Jackson Lacombe and Luke Hughes, both of whom signed long-term deals this off-season, and with the team adding Noah Dobson to their young core, it's easy to see why the future is so bright in Montreal.

While Connor McDavid took a historic discount on his latest deal with Edmonton, over the course of his deal, Hutson's may have saved Montreal more total money, with a new report revealing how much he potentially left on the table.

Sure, the model that predicts this perceived value isn't perfect, and there's no way that Hutson was ever going to get anywhere near $17 million, with Hutson's potential, he could have gotten much more in free agency in a few years.

Ultimately though, players are buying in to Montreal's young core and want to stay around long-term, and with Hutson taking a discount like this, it's easy to see them as a genuine Stanley Cup contender for years to come, especially if all of their young players can continue growing as they expect.