Lane Hutson contract: Noah Dobson shouldn’t be outdone, believes Elliotte Friedman

When will Lane Hutson sign his next contract? Elliotte Friedman, on the heels of his 32 Thoughts Podcast, addressed the question this morning. It's one of the most important topics in the National League,and according to him, much like last week, the broad outlines have been established. But right now, there's a bit of a pause.

32 Thoughts Monday morning news, information & analysis pod. Links to your preferred platform, here:https://t.co/io7Mr1RceUHave a great day

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 6, 2025

What does all this mean? It means, according to Friedman, that the player and the Canadiens know that the contract will be around eight years and $9 million a year. Friedman said this morning that, as of last week, it had been established that Lane Hutson would earn no more than Noah Dobson, who earns $9.5 million a year.Of course, the two contracts can hardly be compared on a basic level, since Dobson signed a year away from full autonomy.Elliotte Friedmanthereforedisagrees with Darren Dreger, who said last week that Lane Hutson will be the highest-paid defenseman in Montreal

Darren Dreger: Re Lane Hutson extension: That number is gonna be higher than $9.5m, I can assure you of that; does 8x$10m get it done? Yeah, probably – First Up (10/3)

– NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) October 6, 2025

Basically, according to Friedman, what's blocking the deal right now is what he calls “philosophical differences” between the club and the agent. What does that mean? It has to do with how Hutson can save money through certain Canadian programs(we talked about this recently) and with the rising cap. The club, which is thinking of taking advantage of the deferred money, says that the player can save money in certain areas, while the agent knows that the cap will be at least $104 million next year. It could go as high as $107 million, according to Friedman.There's emotion in the air, then. How much will this prevent the club and the player from coming to an agreement in the end?

'prolongation'

We still don't know how much of the Habs' powerplay is set in stone for next season. Will Dobson and/or Hutson be on the first wave? How closely are negotiations tied to that?