The 21-year-old was offered $72 million over the same period, but decided to take slightly less because he was more concerned about winning than hitting the cap.
However, starting in 2026, Hutson's bank statement will grow significantly. He'll make $11 million once his entry-level contract expires at the end of June and his new contract begins in July, kicking off years of signing bonus payments that, combined with a pension deal, will ultimately net him more money than an eight-year contract that would have paid him $9 million per season would have earned him.
But that's the fine print here.
The big story is that Houston and the Canadiens are committing to maintaining a culture that they hope will eventually bring them what they all want: the best chance to compete for the Stanley Cup year after year.
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki called the culture “special” on Monday.
He helped make that happen by becoming the first in a long line of players to receive a team-friendly contract stemming from his rookie contract, and Hutson's decision, which was made Saturday and made official Monday, likely helped ensure that other players coming through Montreal's system will do the same.
For this and other reasons, executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes had no hesitation in committing eight years to Hutson.
They held their ground financially by using the leverage they had. With Hutson still three years away from his arbitration rights and unable to sign an offer sheet after his current contract expired, they were firmly in favor of keeping the cap amount reasonable – and they did.
Hutson's camp insisted on more. With the salary cap expected to rise from $95.5 million this season to $113.5 million in 2027-28, and with other restricted free agents signing contracts after the cap moves (like the one Luke Hughes signed on Oct. 1 for $63 million over seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils), they had reasons for this.
But as Hughes said Monday, “When the salary cap changes, the numbers change, but the principles remain the same,” and he and Gorton stuck to those principles to convince Hutson that he would ultimately get what he wanted most by signing the deal that was on the table for him.
They knew what Hutson wanted most because the player's desire was also expressed in that conversation, which helped defuse what had become a violent standoff.
The intensity of the negotiations was increased due to the fact that the negotiations spilled into the public sphere, as a result of which the intentions were partially distorted.
Hutson wanted to make sure his words were clear to the Canadiens. He has long maintained that his priority was to sign them and confirmed this when he spoke to management on Saturday.
When asked Monday what message he intended to convey, Hutson responded: “I believed that we were not far from being a team that could be a team that could be a Stanley Cup champion. More than once; hopefully we continue to do that. Just my belief in this group, in the staff, in the coaches, in everything we have, I think we're headed in a great direction.”
That direction could change if negotiations potentially go from ugly to ugly and if they drag on any longer.
If Hughes hadn't felt that way, he wouldn't have said, “I think it's fair to say it's going to impact Lane and the team.”
The grandmaster added that he hoped to avoid such an outcome before the start of the season, and noted that the deal actually took place three games later than he and Gorton had planned.
Hutson said that everything was almost complete before he even played the third game, although his performance suggested that he would have preferred it to have been completed before he had even played one.
“I didn’t feel good about any of them,” said the Chicago-raised Michigander.
“I haven’t shown my best yet,” Hutson added, “but I feel confident in what I can do.”
The Canadiens are also confident in what Hutson can do.
They did it before he was even drafted 62nd Total in 2022
As Hughes mentioned, they were delighted to have caught him so late. He didn't need to say that they were delighted as he rewrote NHL history en route to a remarkable 66-point rookie campaign that earned him the Calder Trophy.
It played a huge role in the Canadiens' surprise playoff run in 2025, and the commitment Hutson made Monday will make him a huge factor in any future success for the team.
“He’s a player,” the coach said. “He wants to be different, and not just in attack. He is very strict in defense. His level of competitiveness is contagious.”
Yes, Hutson's influence on his teammates on the ice was evident.
But the decision he made off the ice on Monday may prove even more influential.
If it wasn't already obvious enough, it will happen by next summer, when Ivan Demidov has a year left on his rookie deal and the start of negotiations that could lead him to a new long-term contract with the Canadiens.
Hughes said Hutson's deal allows the team to “continue to retain other young players that we believe will be part of the team.
He also noted that it helps the Canadiens “add where we think there's opportunity, like we did this summer with Noah Dobson.”
Dobson was a year away from unrestricted free agency without signing a contract and had all the leverage to ask the New York Islanders for a cap hit of $11 million over eight years, but he agreed to $9.5 million per year for eight years with the Canadiens after they traded him.
Gorton and Hughes paid Dobson the same amount because, as Hughes said Monday, “The reality is if you go to the open market, you're going to have to pay.”
He added that he would prefer to build as much as possible from the inside, before saying he wouldn't hesitate to go outside when he needs to.
“When you have a young group of players who are committed to this team, I think we owe it to them that if we believe there is a hole in the squad that needs to be filled in order to have a championship-caliber team, then we will need to do that,” concluded Hughes.
The case he did with Hutson not only gives him additional opportunities; it stimulates him.
In the end, it was more important to Hutson than money.
He could get more cap money on Monday. Or he could take nothing at all and wait, betting on himself and expecting more next fall – when the Canadiens need him to play and not sit on the sidelines without a contract.
This would have the opposite effect: it would cool the heat around the situation.
Hutson realized this and decided to put the whole thing on hold, likely giving himself and the Canadiens the best chance to get what they both want most: multiple chances to win together.
