Lane Hutson (© Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ca83e7bd-dfe3-435e-9d04-6dc5ed191856.jpeg] Lane Hutson (© Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images) The Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] made it back into the playoffs during the 2024-25 season, and a big reason for it was the incredible play of defenseman Lane Hutson. The 21-year-old cemented himself as a legitimate star during his rookie year, as he posted six goals, 60 assists, and 66 points in 82 games. With this, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year. Hutson's offense from the point during his rookie year was very impressive, and he has now been rewarded for it. Sportsnet recently released their rankings [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-insiders-rank-the-nhls-top-50-players-in-2025-26-50-41/] for the top 50 NHL players heading into the 2025-26 season, and Hutson just made the cut by grabbing the No. 50 spot. When noting that Hutson had such an awesome rookie season, it makes all the sense in the world that he has been included in Sportsnet's top 50 players rankings. There is no question that he made a big impact in 2024-25, and he should only get better as he continues to gain more NHL experience. A few players who were ranked just ahead of Hutson on Sportsnet's list include Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning), Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars), and Jesper Bratt (New Jersey Devils). It will now be interesting to see what kind of year Hutson has in 2025-26 with the Canadiens from here. If he takes another big step forward in his development, it would not be surprising in the slightest if he lands a higher ranking from Sportsnet next year.
