Craig Button had just finished carving his Thanksgiving turkey in Victoria when the news came down — Lane Hudson, Montreal’s dazzling young defenseman and reigning Calder Trophy winner, had signed an eight-year contract extension with the Canadiens worth an average annual value of $8.85 million.

“Happy Thanksgiving to Lane Hudson,” Button said with a grin. “Because Montreal just got a fantastic deal.”

Hudson, still just 21, has already established himself as one of hockey’s most creative defensemen — a rare mix of artistry and efficiency, capable of changing the rhythm of a game with a single stride. His decision to sign long-term with Montreal, and at a number lower than many of his peers, sent ripples across the league.

Jackson LaCombe in Anaheim signed for $9 million AAV. Luke Hughes, the prodigy in New Jersey, inked his own $9 million extension. Neither has a Calder Trophy — and yet Hudson, arguably the most accomplished of the three, settled for less.

To Button, that wasn’t a surprise. The term, though — that’s what caught him off guard.

The Value of Belief

“When I saw the 8.85 AAV, I thought it would be a four-year deal,” Button said on SportsCentre. “Get through those four years, let the cap go up, and then cash in big. But when I heard eight years at that number? That told me Lane Hudson made a statement: ‘I’m digging in here with the Montreal Canadiens.’”

It’s a move that speaks to a larger truth about the young defenseman. Hudson, who became an instant fan favorite for his blend of creativity and composure, has often said that Montreal feels like “home.” In a league increasingly defined by short-term contracts and constant movement, an eight-year commitment — at below market value — feels almost radical.

Button didn’t mince words about what it means for the organization: “The Canadiens get a fantastic deal. There’s no question he’s underpaid right now, and that’ll only grow as time goes on and the cap keeps rising.”

The salary cap is projected to hit $104 million next season, and $113 million the year after. As the financial ceiling climbs, Hudson’s contract could soon look like a bargain of historic proportions.

“We said the same thing about Jack Eichel,” Button added. “He was underpaid within two years. Same with Kyle Connor. Well, you can already say it about Hudson.”

A Player and a City in Sync

Beyond the numbers, this deal feels like a declaration of belonging — a young player choosing not to chase every dollar, but to anchor himself in a city that adores him.

“Every player looks around the league, sees what others are signing for,” Button explained. “But the best ones ask: what makes my situation unique? What allows me to flourish, to be happy?”

In Hudson’s case, that answer seems to be Montreal.

From the moment he first skated onto the Bell Centre ice, fans have seen something different in him — a touch of the poetic in the way he plays the game. His stride is quick, light, almost musical. He’s undersized by NHL standards, but his hockey sense is oversized, and his confidence matches his flair.

Now, with this deal, he’s signaling that Montreal isn’t just a stop in his career — it’s where he intends to build it.

Comparisons and Context

When asked whether Hudson’s contract was more surprising than Connor McDavid’s now-famous $12.5 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers, Button didn’t hesitate.

“The bigger surprise for me is Lane Hudson,” he said. “When McDavid’s contract ends, he’ll be 31, the cap will have jumped considerably, and he’ll have another massive payday waiting for him. But Hudson? He’s locked in at 8.85 for eight years. He won’t really get to take advantage of that rising cap until this deal ends.”

By the time Hudson’s extension expires, the NHL’s salary cap could be in the $130–140 million range. Defensemen of his caliber might be making north of $13 or $14 million annually by then.

“Still,” Button continued, “this is someone who’s decided, ‘This is what works for me. This is what’s good for me.’ And you have to respect that.”

In a way, Hudson’s decision mirrors that of another player who prioritized fit over fortune — Nathan MacKinnon, who famously signed a below-market deal in Colorado during his early years, a move that helped the Avalanche construct a Stanley Cup contender around him.

Hudson’s deal could do the same for Montreal.

Montreal’s Win — and the Bigger Picture

For the Canadiens, this contract represents more than cap efficiency. It’s a cultural victory.

After years of transition — trades, rebuilds, and uncertainty — Hudson’s commitment gives the organization something stable, something symbolic. He is the modern defenseman every team covets: mobile, creative, fearless. And he’s saying, with his signature, that he believes in where this team is heading.

“The Canadiens are building something,” Button said. “And when your young star says, ‘I want to be part of this long-term,’ that sends a message to every other player in that room.”

Montreal’s home opener is set for Tuesday night, hosting the Seattle Kraken. The timing couldn’t be better. Hudson will skate onto the Bell Centre ice not just as the team’s brightest young star — but as its cornerstone.

“You can imagine the ovation,” Button smiled. “It’ll be loud, and it’ll be deserved.”

The Thanksgiving Deal

There’s something fitting about the timing of it all — a Thanksgiving signing in a country where gratitude and identity often intertwine.

For Hudson, it’s gratitude for a team that believed in his potential even when his size made him a draft-day question mark. For Montreal, it’s gratitude for a player who could’ve demanded more, but instead chose loyalty, stability, and purpose.

For Button, speaking from his home in Victoria, the deal feels like the best kind of hockey story: one grounded not just in economics, but in belief.

“Hudson’s made his choice,” he said. “He knows who he is, and he knows where he wants to be. You can’t put a price on that.”

Looking Ahead

When the puck drops Tuesday night, the Bell Centre crowd will erupt in cheers for their young star. There will be banners, lights, and maybe even a few chants of “Hud-son! Hud-son!” echoing through the rafters.

It’ll be a celebration not just of a contract, but of a commitment — one that could define the Canadiens’ next decade.

And somewhere up in the press box, Craig Button will likely smile again. “Happy Thanksgiving,” he’ll say, “to Lane Hudson — and to the Montreal Canadiens.”