/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-tor.buminteractif.com%2F2025%2F11%2F28193706%2FHughes-1-1.jpg)
Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Noah Dobson and Mike Matheson.
These four defensemen have something in common. Yes, they all play for the Canadiens… but there's more to it than that too.
All four are under contract until the end of 2031 (if not longer). Matheson's contract and Guhle's will expire in 2031, Dobson's will expire in 2033… and Hutson is under contract with the Canadiens until 2034. Still!
If these four players are able to stay healthy, the Habs will have an excellent top-4 for… a very long time. And in fact, it could really help Kent Hughes move too, because there are a number of defensemen who could deserve a chance to make their mark elsewhere in the future.
Adam Engström, Jayden Struble, Arber Xhekaj, David Reinbacher, William Trudeau, Owen Protz, Bogdan Konyushkov, Bryce Pickford… I won't fall off my chair if several of these players are included in a transaction at some point.
Depth is nice… but there are only six regular spots on a hockey club's blue line.
Mike Matheson's contract extension will certainly give Kent Hughes a little more flexibility for a trade.
The #CH ‘s surplus is on the blue line.
Not to say I'm in favor of trading them, but Reinbacher, Engstrom, Struble and Xhekaj..
– Marc-Olivier Beaudoin (@MOBeaudoin1) November 28, 2025
Matheson's long-term signing opens doors for Kent Hughes.
The Canadiens' GM knows he'll be able to count on excellent defensemen for years to come… and he also has the luxury of having others in his bank of prospects who have the potential to play in the National League one day.
It also underlines the fact that, right now, the Canadiens are armed to the teeth to make a big deal.
In addition to the prospects listed above, there's Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, L.J. Mooney, Aatos Koivu, Hayden Paupanekis, Joshua Roy, Vinzenz Rohrer, Owen Beck, Tyler Thorpe, and…
- Five first-round picks by 2030
- Six second-round picks by 2030
- Five third-round picks by 2030
That's no mean feat, to put it mildly.
And it could get exciting, because we know that Kent Hughes isn't afraid to make a splash on the trade market…
Overtime
– Come on, Slaf!
Juraj Slafkovsky is locked in pic.twitter.com/fAVgnQqRsM
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 28, 2025
– What sad news.
Statement from @utahmammoth Head Coach André Tourigny:
“With a heavy heart, we had tough news as a family yesterday. Clayton Keller's dad (Bryan) passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. Clayton wants to play and be with the team. We want to express our condolences to the family,… pic.twitter.com/XnylXhPe55
– Utah Mammoth PR (@UtahMammoth_PR) November 28, 2025
– Coming up.
Chris Johnston: The Blues could be a team that's really in for a hard reset here in the next few months; a lot of players names are out there on that team – Chris Johnston Show (11/27)
– NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 28, 2025
– Pooler alert:
Schwartz sidelined a month and a halfhttps://t.co/tjGSXWK0V0
– RDS (@RDSca) November 28, 2025
