The Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs and are now looking to build off that in the offseason.
The Canadiens will look to add more talent to their roster, but general manager Kent Hughes revealed their priority is signing their own. Star defenseman Lane Hutson is eligible for an extension on July 1 as he has one year left on his entry-level deal.
With Hutson being eligible for an extension, Hughes confirmed to the media that signing the star defenseman is a priority.
“Yes,” Hughes said at his year-end press conference, that signing Hutson is a priority. “I noticed Lane mentioned he’d like to sign a contract sooner than later, so we’ll be reaching out to his agent, and we’ll see. I think it’s important to have that conversation and know what’s important for Lane. And from there, we’ll see if we can come to an agreement on terms.”
Hutson is coming off his first full season in the NHL and is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy, which is the league’s Rookie of the Year Award.
Hutson became the Canadiens’ top defenseman and helped run the power play and be one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. He finished the year with 6 goals and 60 assists for 66 points in 82 games. In the playoffs, he had 5 assists in 5 games.
Hutson Wants to Sign an Extension With Canadiens
Hutson was selected 62nd overall in the 2022 NHL Draft and has become one of the best young players in the NHL.
After the Canadiens were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five games by the Washington Capitals, Hutson confirmed he’d like to sign an extension. Hutson explained how much he likes Montreal and is hopeful he can get a deal done this summer.
“I hope so,” Hutson said. “It’s a special place to play. Having our young core and having guys who are still coming up, I think it’s only gonna get younger from here. We’re just excited about what the future is gonna hold.”
Hutson could be in line to sign a max eight-year deal. Or, he could sign a short-term bridge deal to cover his RFA years.
Canadiens Front Office Looking to Add Talent
Montreal was the youngest team to make the playoffs this past season.
With the Canadiens having some youth on the roster, Montreal’s Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, Jeff Gorton, says they will look to bring in talent.
“As we’re building the team out, we’re trying to get better in all areas. We’re not a finished product. And there’s not one area of our team where we’re saying, “we’re done there.” So, we’ll continue to look at everything and try to build it out,” Gorton said. “Everyone’s talking about size and Washington and the way they played. We’re certainly aware of that. As we move forward, Kent and I have a lot of discussions about it. And ultimately, compete is the biggest thing. Making sure that we have players that are comfortable in a playoff environment and able to play in all situations. There’s really nothing we won’t look at to improve the team.”
Montreal has nearly $9 million in cap space this offseason, but their core is all signed.
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Canadiens GM Reveals Team’s Priority in The Offseason