The Montreal Canadiens head into this season with a major question mark hanging in the balance. Calder Trophy-winning blue liner Lane Hutson is heading into the final year of his entry-level deal.
That situation poses a significant issue for the Habs. While it’s a no-brainer that the team will move to re-sign Hutson, the question boils down to term and dollar figures. On the surface, the game plan would be to sign Hutson to a deal similar to the one Noah Dobson got this summer.
But that would be comparing apples to oranges. That’s the sentiment echoed in a piece published by Marco D’Amico at RG Media on August 14. D’Amico cited an anonymous league source who stated the following:
“Dobson is at a different point in his career than Hutson, not to say one is better than the other. But, in the world of contracts, RFA years are worth substantially less than UFA years, and teams generally have to fork up more money for those years when a player could have tested free agency.”
So, does that mean that Hutson isn’t going to get the same kind of money that Dobson got? Not necessarily. Hutson could still get paid, perhaps even more. What it means is that Dobson’s contract shouldn’t be used as a comparable for Hutson’s.
D’Amico explains the case, citing the anonymous source:
“So, for Dobson, who was one year away from being a free agent, who plays top-pair minutes and shoots right – a major commodity in the NHL – then you can see why he went for the price point he did. But he had all the leverage in the world to command that kind of money because there are only about 7-8 players in the NHL with a similar profile under the age of 30.”
In short, the Canadiens hold the high ground on Hutson. Hutson is still too young to command the big bucks. Moreover, Dobson, as a right-shot blue liner, was in higher demand than Hutson. Those two key factors will have a huge impact on the team’s negotiation. But there’s one other crucial factor that could impact Hutson’s next contract.
Canadiens are in no rush to re-sign Hutson this season
Hutson is slated to become an RFA next summer. That situation alone should mean a bright red warning light is currently flashing on the Canadiens' dashboard. But the fact is that the Habs are in no real rush to re-sign Hutson.
The reason lies in the fact that Hutson will be a 10.2(c) RFA. That designation is a technical term included in the NHL’s guidelines, which states that Hutson is not eligible for an offer sheet. Moreover, he’s not eligible for arbitration either.
As such, Hutson either agrees to terms with the Canadiens or doesn’t play. That doesn’t mean the Habs will strong-arm Hutson into signing. What it means is that Hutson doesn’t hold much leverage in the negotiation.
Here’s D’Amico citing an anonymous source close to the dealings:
“Hutson doesn’t really have a large amount of leverage in this situation, outside of his excellent on-ice play, simply because he is not eligible for any offer sheets, and he doesn’t have any arbitration rights either.
Hutson and the Canadiens are well aware of this situation. So, the outcome could be Hutson signing a short-term deal similar to the one Matthew Knies inked with the Toronto Maple Leafs or Wyatt Johnston with the Dallas Stars.
Perhaps Hutson signs just long enough to walk him through his RFA years and into UFA status. That much remains to be seen. What is certain is that Hutson will re-sign with the Canadiens at some point. What that deal looks like is the only question at the moment.