Whenever the Montreal Canadiens practise, sophomore defenseman Lane Hutson is almost always first on the ice, whether the practice is mandatory or optional. On Sunday, though, Hutson was nowhere to be seen when the Habs held an optional skate at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard—a surprising development to say the least, and one that didn’t escape the media’s attention.
On Monday, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels asked the 21-year-old why he wasn’t on the ice, and the youngster confirmed what was suspected: he was told it was a mandatory day off the ice for him. Unsurprisingly, the most exciting blueliner the Canadiens have had in a couple of generations didn’t love the decision. Still, he understood it, given how busy the schedule is for the Canadiens these days.
Before this season, some wondered if the 5-foot-9 blueliner would be hit by the sophomore slump now that the league knew what to expect from the skilled player, but it’s safe to say that he wasn’t. While opponents have had plenty of opportunities to study the defenseman’s play, his high hockey IQ and mobility allow him to excel at reading the game and adjusting accordingly. Hutson doesn’t really have patterns; he’s got plenty of creativity and plenty of tricks in his bag. That makes him unpredictable and very hard to defend against.
As things stand, Hutson is currently fourth in points amongst all defensemen, trailing the league-leading Cale Makar by just eight points, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given how similar their career starts have been. When the Colorado Avalanche star was playing his second season, he had eight goals, 36 assists for 44 points in 44 games, along with a plus-17rating. Hutson had the exact numbers after 44 games this season.
Hutson is the second-highest-scoring American defenseman in the league right now, trailing only Zach Werenski by two points. Yet, Team USA has decided not to include him on its roster for the Milano-Cortina Olympics. Despite his size, Hutson is very combative on the ice, and when he loses the puck, he plays like a dog whose bone was just stolen from him. While the snub must have hurt the young blueliner, he’s not the type to wallow in self-pity; in fact, it has only made him play better, which is excellent news for the Canadiens.
Hutson is also a fantastic team player. On Monday, he wasn't playing on the Canadiens' first power play unit and when Noah Dobson, who was given his spot, scored four seconds into the Canadiens' only power play the youngster was all smiles on the bench.
Olympics or not, Hutson’s career trajectory is looking very bright right now, and his rare blend of talent, skills, and work ethic will make him a mainstay on the Canadiens’ blueline for a long time, and one of the reasons why fans will be packing the Bell Centre to the rafters for years to come.
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