5 Players The Canadiens Would Be Wise To Target After Round 1 Of NHL Draft

As the 2022 NHL Draft approaches, let’s take a look at five players who would make interesting selections for the Montreal Canadiens beyond the first round.

As I have spent a full year scouting the 2022 class, something I will do even more for the 2023 class as I got the gig as the OHL scout at Dobber Prospects, I figured I could write up a piece which introduces five players likely to be available in the later rounds of the draft who I have taken a strong liking to over the course of this season and the Canadiens would be wise to select.

I will also throw in some honourable mentions at the end, as there have just been too many prospects whose games I have grown fond of. In order to stay up to date with all my takes on prospects and my soon-to-be-published top-100 rankings, feel free to follow me on Twitter @high_sebastian.

1. Lane Hutson, LD, USNTDP, 5’8″, 158 lbs, (60g: 10g, 63p), Rounds 2-4.

I already know I’m going to get three types of comments regarding my inclusion of Lane Hutson here.

1. He’s way too small to make it in the NHL, the Canadiens need size to be competitive, not tiny defencemen!
2. He’s a left defenceman, the Canadiens already have a tonne of those, draft other positions.
3. Hutson is far too skilled to be available in the later rounds, why are you listing him here?

And to that I’d say:

1. No, the Canadiens need good players to be competitive, and if Lane Hutson hits, you’re looking at a Quinn Hughes-type player with extremely high-end offensive skills, playmaking ability, and agility; that’s an upside you can’t ignore, no matter the stature.
2. Same as above minus the stature comment.
3. Lane Hutson isn’t just small, he is as slight a player as you’re going to see in the NHL draft, among all notable prospects available in the 2022 class, only a handful weigh less than Hutson, he’s going to fall relative to where he should go based on his skill profile. Only 16 NHL teams interviewed him at the combine. I’d be shocked if he went in the first round, and surprised if he went in the second. I think round 3 is where we see a team step up and take the risk of selecting him.

Now with those necessary questions answered, let me introduce to you Lane Hutson’s entertaining brand of hockey!

As previously noted, he is a gifted offensive tool from the backend. He may not be the fastest player in the draft, but he is among the most agile, which he weaponized with his deception, manipulative ability, and very good handling skills to get around forecheckers, giving him significant value in transition.

He uses these same skills to be effective in the offensive zone. He is constantly activating from the point and is at his most effective as a playmaker while doing so; he has a thorough understanding of how his movement can open passing lanes, attract defenders’ attention, and allow his teammates to move up into the slot and become prime passing targets. His shot is a real threat, too, which further enables his playmaking ability to shine.

On the defensive side of things, Hutson projects as a player who treads water at the NHL level if he makes it. He will never be in the running for defensive defenceman of the year, but that’s okay. He keeps a tight gap in the neutral zone, keeps his feet moving in the defensive zone, and has a very active stick to threaten the puck carrier and to close down passing lanes. His defensive impact was a very positive one in the USNTDP this year, but that helped by being attached at the hip with Ryan Chesley.

Hutson is headed to a good program at Boston University next season and will need to work on a few select things to project to the NHL. First off, his skating. He is already extremely mobile and agile, but his top speed is limited and a player of his size needs to win races to loose pucks to win possession, he won’t outmuscle anyone; his pivots also need a lot of work. Second, he will need to continue to improve how he plays under pressure; undersized players who can’t do this never make it to the NHL. Hutson is already very good at this, but it will need to continue to improve as his competition grows in size and skill. Last, he needs to retain his style of play. If he’s coached to be more defensively reliable at the cost of offence, he will lose all his effectiveness and value.

Selecting Hutson is riskier than selecting a player like Matyas Sapovaliv, for instance, who is a likely future 4th liner, there’s a very real chance he doesn’t make the NHL, but if he hits, it’s a home run swing, and the Canadiens have a tonne of depth in their system but they lack many high-upside prospects, Hutson is one, and if the Canadiens have a chance to draft at 62 or later, it would be difficult to excuse passing on a player of his tremendous skill level.