The Washington Capitals shocked many in the sports world when they signed Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year, $72 million extension on Tuesday afternoon. The deal is massive for a defenseman whose career-high in points before this season was 41 and who has an extensive injury history. It's a risky contract for the Capitals to take on for the next eight years, but Washington hopes that Chychrun's best years are ahead of him. It raises an interesting question for the Montreal Canadiens, as Lane Hutson is eligible for a contract extension after July 1.
Chychrun is a 26-year-old in the middle of a career-high year in points. He has 43 in 65 games and is pacing to finish the year with 51. Chychrun has been a valuable defenseman for most of his years. Still, he has never been considered one of the top offensive blueliners in the league, and his defensive abilities have been slightly above average at best. Chychrun has been valuable to the Capitals' rise this season, but it is only a one-year sample size for a player with only a few prime years remaining.
Compare that to Lane Hutson, who could win the Calder Trophy this season and is six years younger. Hutson is already putting up statistics that rival him with some of the league's top offensive defensemen, and already has 53 points this year. He is on pace to play all 82 games and record 63 points. It's interesting that Hutson could post a significantly higher total in his rookie year than Chychrun's in his ninth.
What is stopping Hutson from asking for a contract around the same region as Chychrun? He has already shown a higher offensive upside, and his defense hasn't been as bad as people predicted coming out of college. Hutson is the future of the Canadiens' blue line, and you can assume that he is only going to get better. If Chychrun's contract is any indication, the going rate for an elite offensive defenseman is going to be astronomical.
A defenseman like Jake Sanderson is going to be kicking himself about being locked into an $8 million annual deal until 2031-32. He should be making more than Chychrun annually, and Hutson's agent will be saying the same about his client. Kent Hughes' best course of action could be to sign Hutson as soon as he is eligible. The Chychrun deal will only increase other contracts, and waiting on Hutson could cost the Canadiens even more.
Consider that Cale Makar is making the same amount as Chychrun for the next two seasons and it describes just how astonishing this deal is for the Capitals.