Lane Hutson was one of the 44 players named to Team USA’s preliminary roster for the 2026 Olympics. But not surprisingly, the Montreal Canadiens defenseman is still considered a long shot to actually make the team.

That much was made obvious when Hutson was originally not even invited to the orientation camp in August, which led his Canadian-born father to not-so-subtly suggest that "My boys are also Canadian." And while Team USA corrected that slight by adding Hutson’s name to a 44-man preliminary list last week, the fact remains that he is only 21 years old and has less than 100 games of NHL experience.

“He’s a good player, but we only have room for so many players,” Team USA GM Bill Guerin said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “I don’t know if it’s his time right now.”

That’s not exactly Guerin closing the door on Hutson, who along with Vancouver's Thatcher Demko and Brock Boeser were added to the preliminary roster. But whether he forces his way onto the team will depend on what happens in these next few months.

After winning the Calder Trophy last season after leading all rookies with 66 points, Hutson has exploded out of the gates once again with a goal and five points in seven games this season. Amongst U.S.-born defensemen, Hutson is tied for third in scoring, while averaging 22:28 in ice time.

If he keeps that pace up, he’ll be a difficult guy to leave off the roster, especially if there’s an injury.

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“Everybody is concerned about that,” Guerin said of the injury bug, which is currently keeping Americans Matthew and Brady Tkachuk sidelined. “We understand it. It’s a packed schedule this year. That’s how it has to be in an Olympic year.”

One thing to consider is whether bringing Hutson along as a seventh defenseman makes sense, since he’ll likely be a mainstay on the back end for years going forward.

Chances are that Team Canada management is having a similar conversation about New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who leads all rookies with seven points in six games. In 2030, both Hutson and Schaefer will probably be playing against each other in the French Alps.

But right now, the U.S. has enough difficult decisions to make.

USA Hockey Invites 44 NHL Players To Olympic Orientation Camp: Full List USA Hockey announced 44 players will head to the U.S. men's Olympic orientation camp in Plymouth, Mich.

At the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Americans had a defense that included Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, Zach Werenski, Adam Fox, Noah Hanifin, Brock Faber and Jake Sanderson. Now, they also have Quinn Hughes, who was unable to play at the February tournament because of an injury.

Plus, there’s also Luke Hughes, Seth Jones, Jackson LaCombe, Ryan McDonagh, Brett Pesce, Neal Pionk, Brady Skjei and Alex Vlasic, who were all invited to the two-day orientation camp and remain in the mix.

Working against Hutson is that he wasn’t at the two-day orientation camp in August, nor did he play at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. In a short Olympic tournament with very little lead time, the lack of familiarity between Hutson and the rest of the players could be a factor.

“Chemistry is obviously important,” said Guerin. “Your wheels up and your wheels down and you practice and play.”

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