There's no denying that Montreal Canadiens rookie Lane Hutson can skate, but apparently he can do it with the best of them.
Whenever Montreal Canadiens rookie Lane Hutson collects the puck in his own zone and takes flight, the Bell Centre crowd is on the edge of its seat, and already cheering. Anyone who's been to a game this season will tell you it happens a lot and there's a buzz about the youngster Montreal hasn't seen since P.K. Subban's debut in town.
Tuesday night, an interesting stat was highlighted during the game's broadcast; Hutson actually leads the NHL in end-to-end rushes. He's got five more than Vancouver Canucks standout Quinn Hughes and twice as many as Colorado Avalanche ace Cale Makar.
Of course, that doesn't mean those rushes are successful, but it does show how much of an offensive instinct the blueliner has. He still has some growing up to do, no pun intended, as a player, he has to learn to pick his spots and his moments, but when one of his rushes his unsuccessful, he doesn't stand there looking sorry for him, he back checks with a vengeance to ensure the puck doesn't end up in his own net.
Furthermore, his average puck possession time is quite high, especially for a rookie.
As things stands, Hutson is fourth in scoring amongst rookies with seven points, all assists and is first amongst rookie defenseman. Winning the Calder Trophy is no easy feat for a young blueliner, but the way he plays, expect Hutson to stay in the conversation all season long. 15 games into his NHL career, he's a factor in every game and whatever happens during the Canadiens' game, there's always this developing feel-good story to watch.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens