Has Luke Hughes Set the Bar for Lane Hutson and the Montreal Canadiens?
The New Jersey Devils and restricted free agent defenseman Luke Hughes agreed to a new seven-year deal worth $63 million that carries an AAV of $9 million a season. There had been some reports out that Lane Hutson’s camp had been waiting to see what Luke Hughes set the number at. The Montreal Canadiens now know that a long-term extension will most likely cost them over $9 million, maybe even close to $10 million.
Marco D’Amico of RG: Lane Hutson will bring Hughes’s number to the Canadiens as a comp. However, the Canadiens aren’t in the same position as the Devils, as there is time to get a deal done between Hutson and Montreal. There was more urgency in New Jersey with Hughes.
Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff on TSN Radio in Montreal on Wednesday was asked about the Hughes extension means for Lane Hutson.
NHL Rumors: Could Lane Hutson Make Over $10 Million His Next Deal?
Di Marco: “So I mean, what does it mean for Lane Hutson? I mean, I guess that the question is, is Lane Hutson a slam dunk number one already today? But I certainly think that $9 million is now the bar for Lane Hutson that Luke Hughes set. But with Lane Hutson’s offensive numbers potentially going to explode even further this year, maybe he’s going to be pushing up on 10 when his contract time comes around.”
Later in the day, Pierre LeBrun joined TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked the same question, stating that the Hughes number is a starting point.
LeBrun: “Yeah, you can’t ignore it. It’s an excellent question. And let’s face it, I would imagine anyone who follows the Canadiens closely would have led to that next conversation as soon as they saw seven times nine for Luke Hughes in New Jersey. For sure. That’s a fresh comparable.
Now, the whole family dynamic, the Hughes family dynamic that I just went down, probably makes it a bit of a unique contract. But nevertheless, there’s $9 million on the board now, right? That’s how these things work. I mean, listen, obviously, in the perfect world I think the Habs would have liked Lane Hutson’s extension to be done by now.
NHL Rumors: Lane Hutson and the Montreal Canadiens Know What the Number Is
I mean, my understanding of the situation is the Habs certainly been aggressive on that front throughout the summer. I mean, they’ve tried, but, you know, obviously, there’s no extension at this point. So, you know, we’ll see where this goes.”
NHLRumors.com Note: As NHLRumors.com has reported during the summer, there is time between Lane Hutson and the Montreal Canadiens. However, most likely, everyone expects Hutson to come in around the $10 million mark. If Cale Makar sets the benchmark higher than $12 million, Hutson may approach $11 million. However, given the way Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes, and the Montreal Canadiens have structured their salary, it’s a pretty safe bet the number is $10 million.
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