Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we’re onto the number one ranked player, Lane Hutson.
An undersized, skilled defenseman from the USNTDP, Lane Hutson was selected in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft. And, not only is Lane Hutson the top talent in the Canadiens’ prospect pool, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more intriguing defenseman throughout all 32 NHL prospect pools. Hutson represents the new-age of defenseman, small in stature, but oozing with talent.
An ideal comparable might be Quinn Hughes, and that’s not to say they are the same player, nor is Hutson at Hughes’ level. If Hutson were to reach Hughes’ level, he would have to improve his skating, add some strength and bring his shot up to par. But stylistically, Hutson is able to quarterback a powerplay and use his deceptiveness to evade bigger and stronger opponents, much like Hughes does for the Canucks.
In his rookie season, the Boston University product exploded onto the NCAA scene scoring 15-33-48 totals in 39 games. He was also impressive at the Canadiens development camp and is set to follow up his impressive rookie performance during his sophomore season, and he will do so while sporting a letter on his jersey.
Hutson had a busy schedule in 2022-23, representing his country, the United States on two separate occasions, and he continued doing ‘Lane Hutson things’. He would suit up for both the U20 Championships, and the Men’s World Championships, and stood out for all the right reasons. Defensively, his mobility and smart defensive stick aided him in defending against bigger and stronger competition. But offensively is where he shined brightest, his shimmy shake ability paired with his head fakes, allowed him to burn past defenders and put his brilliant offensive skills to work, and he put on a show for all the viewers.
He first played seven games on the under-20 team, and he scored four points (one goal and three assists) while showcasing his ability to raise his level of play, which helped the Americans to a Bronze medal. He then played on the men’s team and put up even better statistics, through nine games, the North Barrington, Illinois., native flashed his skills, putting up two goals and four assists. His huge list of NCAA accolades put the shiny bow on his 2022-23 year, giving the young defender quite a strong season to build on, heading into his sophomore campaign with Boston University.
Hutson ranks number one on our top 31 prospects list, and his skills, along with his ability to thrive in the biggest moments against older, stronger competition are the reason for that.
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