Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson impressed in the two games he got in at the end of last season after having signed his entry-level contract. There is no disputing that, in limited action, he showed he has the capacity to compete in the NHL to the point the Habs and their fans should be excited about what the future holds in general and specifically regarding his ceiling. However, logically speaking, that future won’t start in the coming weeks heading into 2024-25. Put simply, no one should be shocked if they keep him in the American Hockey League (beyond a minor audition) to start off his pro career.
You’re right, of course. He technically started off his pro career with the Canadiens. However, reading into those aforementioned two games too much can be dangerous. It’s a simple matter of him having been ineligible for the AHL at the time. He needed to be on the Laval Rocket roster at the NHL trade deadline for the Habs to send him down.
Lane Hutson vs. Sean Farrell
Furthermore, one year earlier, Sean Farrell accomplished much the same feat, debuting in the NHL after his collegiate career was over to a great deal of fanfare as well. While there are hopes the forward can gain traction in the organization, it’s not for certain he’ll be able to stand out above the rest in a crowded prospect pool up front.
So, why are things different with Hutson on defense? The simple fact is Hutson is almost universally projected to have an impact at the NHL level. The only thing analysts seem to be splitting hairs over at this point is whether he’ll be able to have a positive impact at both ends of the ice. Keep in mind though, general manager Kent Hughes recently came out in an interview with Tony Marinaro, saying (translated from French):
“If [Hutson] needs to improve certain aspects of his game and he would be better served playing in the American Hockey League, we’ll send him there, but we’re not going to keep him in the NHL just to make him a power-play specialist.”
Based on those comments, the Canadiens clearly aren’t interested in keeping Hutson up simply to be a seventh defenseman. Nor should they as his development is far too important based on how many envision the American ending up the most dynamic “home”grown Habs defenseman since P.K. Subban, who captured the 2013 James Norris Memorial Trophy as the…
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