“Leaving $100 million on the table”: Lane Hutson’s contract is causing a stir

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
“Leaving $100 million on the table”: Lane Hutson’s contract is causing a stir
Credit: YouTube

The Canadiens' salary structure is often praised throughout the league. And that's to be expected.

After all, aside from the fact that it might hold some people back when it comes time to consider adding a big salary, there aren't many downsides to seeing the Habs in this position.

It gives the GM flexibility moving forward. And in an NHL where salaries have skyrocketed, having taken the initiative is good news for the club.

The question we might ask is this: Do the Canadiens have the best salary structure in the NHL?

On that note, after analyzing the efficiency of each team's contracts, Dom Luszczyszyn (The Athletic) determined that no, the Canadiens aren't at the top of the rankings.

They're not far from the top, though.

The Carolina Hurricanes—the Canadiens' third-round opponent in 2026—top the rankings. The Canadiens are in second place.

The Habs still earned an A+ grade with a positive (average) value of 59% and a surplus of $240 million.

What does the surplus mean? It means that if the players were paid at market value, the Habs would have an additional $240 million on their books.

It's worth noting that Lane Hutson, all by himself, is driving the club's value upward. After all, according to the numbers expert's estimates, Hutson should be earning $22.5 million per year.

He's already discussed this in an article on the best contracts in the NHL.

That means, according to the numbers, Hutson should be making quite a bit more money… to the point where Luszczyszyn notes that, in terms of value, Hutson left over $100 million on the table.

He signed before salaries started rising, and he wasn't immediately eligible for full free agency. But it's clear he's talking about pure value here.

According to The Athletic's model, Josh Anderson and Phillip Danault have the only two contracts where the Habs aren't really getting their money's worth right now.

But since the club has some wiggle room, the veterans are useful, and their contracts are coming to an end, it's not the end of the world.


In a nutshell

– The story is still making waves.

– Jacques Lemaire likes how the Habs are being run. [98.5 FM]

– Good news.

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