After a fantastic rookie season, most expect Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson to be crowned rookie of the year and receive the Calder Trophy. Throughout the season, he has entertained fans and media alike, and whenever he touched the puck, you could feel the excitement in the Bell Centre, but who’s responsible for his arrival?
Of course, the fact that GM Kent Hughes traded Brett Kulak to the Edmonton Oilers in March 2022 and obtained the all-important conditional second-round pick (which would have been a 2023 pick had the Oilers made the Cup final that year) at the following draft was what made it possible in the end, but which member of the scouting staff was adamant on Hutson?
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According to La Presse, Mathias Brunet, who was asked who discovered Hutson and made the call on his selection, Hughes was behind that pick. Brunet explains that in an interview, the Canadiens’ GM told him that when the Habs’ brass first saw him play in February 2022, many were more interested by Seamus Casey, but Hughes said:
I saw less from Casey. The only thing I can tell you is that Lane Hutson is the best player on that team. I’m not saying he’ll be the best amongst those players in the NHL, but he’s the best player on that team right now.- Kent Hughes when the Habs' brass first saw Lane Hutson play in the flesh.
Less than six months later, the scouting staff advised Hughes that Hutson would still be available at 62nd overall. They proceeded to draft Juraj Slafkovsky, Filip Mesar, and Owen Beck before Hutson, and as they predicted, he was still up for grabs in the late second round. Less than three years later, everyone in Montreal is glad so many teams passed on him repeatedly, and his career is only just beginning.
Now that he’s eligible to sign an extension, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hughes inked him long-term and made him the second member of the Canadiens’ defensive core.
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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