Hockey

Lane Hutson signed the biggest contract in history for a player in his position
Félix Forget
Lane Hutson signed the biggest contract in history for a player in his position
Credit: Getty Images

In the eyes of many, the signing of Lane Hutson today represents a (very) good move for the Habs. The club has secured the services of one of the best defensemen in the league until 2034, and will be paying him less than $9 million a year in a market where the salary cap is exploding.On many levels, then, it makes sense to be excited about all this in Montreal.And as we know, the defenseman left money on the table. It's part of the culture in town, as his agent explains, and we know he turned down a more lucrative offer from the Habs. But in reality, it's still a nice chunk of change for the defenseman. And even though he signed on the cheap, you have to be careful before calling it a steal, because as Nicolas Cloutier(TVA Sports) notes, it's still a record contract for a player in the defenseman's situation.

It's worth remembering that Hutson, unlike other young players, was going to become a 10.2(c) restricted free agent. Inconcrete terms, therefore, the Habs had all the leverage in the world. And it all had to do with the fact that the defenseman played fewer than 10 games in his first year in the NHL,so a $70.8 million contract is unheard of for a 10.2(c) player signing his second contract in the Bettman circuit. And in terms of signing bonuses, it's even more spectacular: Hutson's $55 million is 27.5 times more than Luke Hughes (who was in the same situation), who got only $2 million in signing bonuses.Usually, it's very rare to see these players get big signing bonuses. Hutson's $55 million isn't exactly out of the ordinary… and that's the advantage of having Geoff Molson as owner in town: he's open to contracts like these, which owners generally don't like (or can't afford outright).So, in terms of cap hit (which is the important number for a fan), the contract looks like a bargain… and it would be dishonest to say otherwise. But even so, the defenseman's agents made sure to get him a very attractive contract that, in reality, is a record contract for a player in the defenseman's situation.Oh, and just like that, Ivan Demidov will also be in the same situation at the end of his current contract, hehe.

'Overtime'

– Indeed. And for those wondering, he won't be a 10.2(c) free agent next summer.

– Heavy defeat for the Blue Jays.

– Interesting.

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