Canadiens hesitancy to promote Lane Hutson to power play 1 is peculiar

The saying goes, "If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it," but for the Montreal Canadiens, Mike Matheson running the power play has long been an issue. 

It’s less that I want to tear down Matheson because that isn’t the case, but more that I feel he is playing above his skill level. Yes, he skates beautifully and has some fancy puck skills. But beyond that, his decision-making hurts the team's production on the power play.

During the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, the Habs had little choice of options to quarterback their top power play, let alone the second unit. But, this season Lane Hutson is in the fold, and I’m not sure what else he needs to do to prove himself. Matheson, at times, is too passive or selfish with his shot selection, whereas Hutson’s offensive skills come more naturally. 

Head coach Martin St. Louis hesitates to use Hutson as the offensive dynamo that he is; leaving many, myself included scratching their heads. A perfect example is that with the Canadiens down 2-0 on Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild, Hutson was stapled to the bench. Why wouldn’t he be put out on the ice, when he is obviously the perfect player to be used in man-advantage situations? 

Hutson is a play creator, very few teams have a defenseman with the abilities that Hutson brings to the table. The teams that do have impact defenders - The Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, to name a few, use them every chance they get. Feelings aside, if Matheson can’t get the job done, then Hutson will gladly fill in and help out the top unit. 

Hutson is that guy

I don’t think anybody, including Marty, Stephane Robidas or Trevor Letowski, needs to be told about Hutson. If anything they are the ones who know most what his capabilities are. This is why it’s even more weird that he still doesn’t get full-time top unit minutes when his vision and poise allow him to manipulate defenders and use his playmaking and strong puck play to create. 

For a team that needs to score more goals, the importance of capitalizing on the man advantage is understandably high. The frustration with Matheson shooting pucks wide or into the stands is warranted. Shooting the puck is great, but it becomes predictable and it’s easier to take away the shot if defences read that he isn’t going to pass. 

Regardless of the situation, if the team wants to win more games, adjustments need to be made. It’s a business and if it’s to do with feelings, then so be it, but the issue needs to be addressed. Maybe it isn’t popular, but moving Matheson to the second unit and promoting Hutson should be a priority. 

Hutson hasn’t played a quarter of the season yet, but he continually makes plays that leave spectators in awe. Imagine his confidence in a couple of seasons. We have been patiently waiting for his arrival and now the patience for his promotion to the top unit is wearing thin. 

Hutson is ready, but is the Habs coaching staff?