My entire week has been a scramble of epic proportions – I’ve packed and now unpacked into my Pine Panelled Palace, been fighting a cold, made my Oilersnation video debut, and now, in between moments of inspired home decor, let’s talk some puck.

Don’t do it Lane

When I read rumblings that Lane Hutson was in talks to extend on a contract that would be lower in AAV than Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe, I nearly spit out my Neocitran.

You mean Lane Hutson of Calder Trophy fame? Of 66 points in his rookie campaign, of sexiest young defenceman in the game, fame? That guy?

Sean Coffey represents Hutson. Lane, tell Coffey to relax here.

Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe just re-upped for $9 million this week. Let this sink in: Luke Hughes is the highest-paid Hughes brother.

Meanwhile, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, after picking a negotiation war with every forward he could, was in a huge hurry to hand LaCombe the largest contract in total dollars in Ducks history.

And you know what, at this moment, Hutson should never ever take less than them.

It’s not just about the points, but Hutson has already produced 23 points and 19 points more than LaCombe and Hughes’ career highs. It’s not just about value to the franchise – all three are in the long-term number one conversation for their franchises.

It’s about the salary cap that we’ve spent months discussing is rising like a tidal wave.

Kirill Kaprizov just signed the richest contract in NHL history (the balls on this guy I tell ya) at $17 million a year.

So let me ask you a question: for the next eight years, would you rather have Kirill Kaprizov or Lane Hutson?

The right answer is probably Kaprizov… but is it? Injury prone elite forward vs. rookie defenceman coming off of a spectacular season… man it’s tricky than you think.

Look, known commodities in the National Hockey League are hard to come by. Hutson is not that yet, having played 84 NHL regular season games.

But just take a peek at these all-time great names – plus a couple others – who are the only defenceman to win the Calder Trophy:

In order: Jacques Lapierre, Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Ray Bourque, Gary Suter, Brian Leetch, Bryan Berard, Barret Jackman, Tyler Myers, Aaron Ekblad, Cale Makar, and Moritz Seider.

I repeat: Orr, Potvin, Bourque, Makar…. (Barret Jackman?)

Of course the Montreal Canadiens are motivated to sign Hutson long-term. He could be sailing to $12-15 million in AAV with another wicked season under his belt.

The thing is, he doesn’t have the hammer.

As Elliotte Friedman pointed out, what made Kaprizov’s lucrative extension happen is that he had all the leverage. He could say with a straight face that $16 million per season was not good enough, and Bill Guerin cowered in fear. He was angry, but anxious. The Wild need to win a playoff round. Hence, “He f***ing better be [happy],” at the press conference.

Hutson doesn’t have arbitration or the ability to sign an offer sheet at the end of this season, nor for a while after. He does not have the hammer.

Montreal is gliding into the season as the sexy young team of the future, as they are anointed as Stanley Cup champs of 203_ . They are riding the wave of the playoff berth, were rolling in so much draft capital they dropped two first-round picks on Noah Dobson, and Kent Hughes is smartly trying to tidy Hutson for the long-term.

Noah Dobson makes $9.5 million and Kent Hughes signed that contract in acquiring him. If I’m Hutson, I’m not taking less than that by signing today.

Hutson could very well regress – the sophomore slump is a real thing and 66 points in a lofty defenceman point total (that was 7th best amongst defenceman last season, for instance).

But I would say, Lane, do not sign yet. Bet on yourself. It would be criminal if Hutson signs today for less than Jackson LaCombe, but an all-time win for Hughes and the Habs.

Speaking of Montreal as a whole…

Can I just see it first?

I used to subscribe to the Hockey News, first given to me as a Christmas present by my grandparents. I still have the boxes of different magazines dating from 2010 to about 2016.

Many covers stick out to me, but I never forget in 2015 when the Future Watch issue featured the Winnipeg Jets and said “Meet Your 2019 Stanley Cup Champions.”

Spoiler: the Jets didn’t win the Cup in 2019, haven’t made the SCF, and have only once been to the Western Conference Final.

In fact, 2019 they lost in the first round to the eventual champs in the St. Louis Blues.

Fence-riding does not make for good copy, so I don’t slam The Hockey News.

I bring this up because the Montreal Canadiens glazing annoys me. The reason could be that I have a few Habs fans friends in my life and they are excited. They should be excited. The team is coming along.

But can we just pump the brakes? Or rather, I just want to see it first. I just want to see a season where they are in a playoff spot for most of the season, not go on a run post 4 Nations Faceoff (where their playoff chances were in the milk percentages) and get the last wildcard spot.

There’s so much to like with the Habs long-term. The excitement is not unwarranted. I just want to see it first.

And as a fan of a team that was in a perennial, seemingly never-ending rebuild, I can empathize with the excitement too. But now this edition of the team enters the season with real expectations. That comes with its own unique challenges.

I’m just saying, that if you told me the Edmonton Oilers after going to Game 7 of the second round against the Anaheim Ducks in 2017 would miss the playoffs the next two years, I would’ve said you’re full of shit.

Well, that’s what happened.

This Habs team is deeper all-around than that Oilers team, but my point applies. The NHL growth process today is not linear like days of yore, where you rebuilt, were in a bottom playoff spot, then became Titletown.

There is so much in-between that happens. One year and the next year a bit down, then a big shoot up, then a down in the playoffs, then a down regular season but a deep playoff run. You know what I mean? It’s not linear, step-by-step, nice growth curves. At least, less so like before.

Maybe I’m just tainted by arguing with Habs fans in my life that Sam Montembeault (sneakily not young and already 28) despite being a pretty good tendy, is not the second coming of Bill Durnan, and teasing them by saying their TSN show The Rebuild was extended for more seasons in November, and you get the point.

They’ll probably do really well. I’m a contrarian I guess.

Meaningful hate is good

I worried this week I was going to have to stretch to fill Sunday column length, but I’ve just poured another bourbon and the words are flowing out of me…

Talk about hockey that gets beer-fuelled fans going.

The Battle of Florida resembles the great rivalries of the past, a legitimate hate that hockey thrives upon, in PRE-SEASON of all times.

The hate between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers is exactly what makes passionate hockey insurmountable as a spectacle. Especially because these two teams have appeared in the last six Stanley Cup Finals.

These aren’t irrelevant franchises, they are the gold standards.

Can you believe that in 2025 there’s still teams and players taking names, such brutal dislike that Tampa head coach Jon Cooper starts an AHL goon in Scott Sabourin in the last preseason game on Saturday to physically assault Aaron Ekblad?

You know what? Bleeding hearts are going to bleed, but when two of the league’s best franchises can’t stand to be in the same building as each other, it’s tremendous.

The carryover of last year’s brutal playoff series played out in the preseason, beginning Thursday when Panthers’ AJ Greer attacked Lightning forward Brandon Hagel. That game turned into a mini bloodbath, a mere 186 penalty minutes.

Analyst Pat Maroon called it “gutless” and said a response was coming on Saturday. It did.

How about a total of 65 penalties for 302 penalty minutes on Saturday night. A game so absurd that Niko Mikkola assisted on the 8-0 goal (Holy Dina Florida!) but he had already been kicked out.

For the sleepy lackadaisical preseason, two franchises are in fine form already. If these two were in Canadian markets, this would be wall-to-wall and we’d be eating it up.

How about some reporting

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper also apparently re-signed “quietly” this off-season, according to Pierre Lebrun, believed to be signed now to the end of next season.

That’s quite weird the team didn’t announce it. In the summer malaise of no hockey news – particularly this off-season – surely they could’ve grabbed some attention and headlines.

But no outpouring on this one, we didn’t know about it until seemingly Oilers’ coach Kris Knoblauch signed.

Strange.

I theorized that Cooper and the Lightning might be heading for a breakup, not an ugly one, just one borne of necessity. They’d done everything they could do together. It was seemingly time. Maybe it still is and that’s why there was no press release.

Tampa Bay have been ousted in the first round for three straight years. Jon Cooper is one of the best coaches in the game. Great coaches move on.

The whole thing reeks a bit. Keep an eye on this one.

…And the only prescription is?

Maybe the illness I have is Gavin McKenna fever.

The buzz around the 17-year-old slam-dunk no. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft next June was palpable in his NCAA debut with Penn State on Friday.

Arizona State fans booed every time he touched the puck. McKenna contributed with two assists. The game was broadcast for an international audience.

McKenna is box office. He scored his first NCAA goal on Saturday night as Penn swept the weekend against ASU.

Who’s going to tank for this guy? Not enough teams.

ARTICLE PRESENTED BY bet365

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