The Montreal Canadiens entered the 2025-26 season with one major decision looming over them. Lane Hutson, their Calder Trophy-winning defenseman, was entering the final year of his entry-level contract without an extension in place. Since the offseason began, negotiations have remained at a standstill.
On October 13, the Canadiens finally secured Hutson with an eight-year, $70.8 million extension. While fans praised GM Kent Hughes for locking down the young defenseman, Captain Nick Suzuki also had some words for his teammate about the massive deal.
Montreal Captain Praises Lane Hutson for His Latest Contract Extension
Hutson has been one of the standout defensemen for the Canadiens since last season. His 66 points (6 goals and 60 assists) were a major reason behind Montreal’s qualification for the postseason. His performance even earned the 21-year-old the Calder Trophy.
Entering his contract year this season, Hutson became Montreal’s top priority for an extension. However, negotiations stalled throughout the summer as both sides struggled to agree on terms. Finally, on Monday, the defenseman committed his future to the Canadiens with the eight-year deal.
At $8.85 million annually, Hutson’s deal came in slightly below the expected $9 million benchmark. With fellow young defensemen Noah Dobson ($9.5M), Luke Hughes ($9M), and Jackson Lacombe ($9M) all securing similar contracts this offseason, many anticipated Hutson would match or exceed those figures.
While analysts dissect the contract details, Captain Suzuki had nothing but praise for his young teammate. Recently speaking about the contract extension, he mentioned, “We’ve built a culture here where guys are not trying to break the bank.”
#Habs Nick Suzuki on Hutson’s $8.85M AAV: “we’ve built a culture here where guys are not trying to break the bank and I think all Lane wants to do is win and I think he’s definitely set us up for that possibility moving into the future”
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) October 13, 2025
He continued, “I think all Lane wants to do is win, and I think he’s definitely set us up for that possibility moving into the future.” Suzuki, with 84 points last season, was one of the main reasons behind the Canadiens’ qualification for the playoffs after a shaky regular season.
Suzuki believes Hutson’s willingness to sign at $8.85 million shows the defenseman prioritizes winning over maximizing his contract. The captain expressed confidence heading into the season opener against Toronto on October 9. “We got a lot of confidence coming into the season,” Suzuki said.
After breaking their playoff drought last season, only to fall in the first round, Suzuki wants a deeper run this year. “I think we’re a hungry group; we want more of that success that we had at the end of last season,” he said .”We’ve had a really good camp, and the guys have been super motivated. Just excited to get things going,” he told reporters.
With their core now locked in long-term, Montreal will look to secure its third win on Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken.
