The Montreal Canadiens just made the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and now look to make a run in the 2026 NHL playoffs. Lane Hutson is coming off winning the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the NHL. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer. Now contract talks have stalled , according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN.

“The NHL salary landscape is changing fast. Hearing Lane Hutson was willing to take an 8 year deal slightly less than Noah Dobson’s $9.5 million AAV but it didn’t get done on the Canadiens end. That was before the market reset with Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe deals last week,” Kaplan posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Hutson was originally willing to accept an eight-year deal, just below $9.5 million. That is the current cost for the D

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