With his entry-level contract nearing a close, Montreal Canadiens star Lane Hutson may not make as much money as some of his other peers on the blue line have in recent weeks. In the days before the start of the 2025-26 season, the New Jersey Devils inked young defenseman Luke Hughes to a massive contract carrying a $9 million annual price tag. The Anaheim Ducks followed that up with a similar deal to young blue-liner Jackson LaCombe. Hutson, like Hughes, will be a 10.2(c) Restricted Free Agent at the end of the 2025-26 season. LaCombe had that advantage that Hutson will not have when he got the Ducks to match the massive deal Hughes got from the Devils.