Lane Hutson has been a star so far this season, and there's a fine argument to be made that he will be neck-and-neck with Macklin Celebrini for the Calder Trophy at season's end. He has already become one of the best offensive defenseman in the league, but the question is whether he can sustain it over 82 games and the next 10-15 years of his career. It has been a fun ride for him this season, but it's important not to get too out of hand with our expectations.
Hutson has 39 points in 47 games, which puts him on pace for 68 in 82. More specifically, he is on pace for five goals and 63 assists. Those numbers would give him the most assists by a rookie defenseman of all time, beating offensive guys like Larry Murphy, Chris Chelios, and Ray Bourque. It's okay for Canadiens fans to dream about the potential of Hutson, but a recent podcast showed me the hype may be getting out of hand.
Lane Hutson is currently on pace to have the most assists by a rookie defenceman in NHL history!@grantmccagg: "That's just the tip of the iceberg. This kid is capable of 80+ assists, maybe 100 one year!"#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast | @GaumondShayne pic.twitter.com/1gwf9OSKUd
— The Sick Podcast - Recrutes Draftcast (@sickpodnhldraft) January 20, 2025
In a world of clickbait and hyperbolic takes, promoting your product with outlandish predictions is profitable. When I saw the text portion of this tweet, I assumed the comment may have been tongue-in-cheek, but after examining the video, it seems like Grant McCagg was 100% serious about this prediction. Grant is a great reporter, scout, and ambassador for the Habs fans, but this prediction was outrageous even for him.
NHL defensemen tallied over 80 assists on ten occasions, but only three players accomplished the feat. Bobby Orr was the only player to record 100+ assists in 1970-71 and did the 80+ mark four more times in his career. Paul Coffey eclipsed 80 assists four times, while Brian Leetch hit the 80 mark exactly once.
Erik Karlsson, Quinn Hughes, and Roman Josi all have 70+ assists in the modern era, while Cale Makar nearly did it with 69 as his highest total. Hutson could easily reach the level of some of those defensemen, the best offensive weapons of the modern era. However, believing he can beat out some of those players' best seasons with 20 extra assists is a stretch.
Maybe the league will continue getting more offensive and prove me wrong, but I think it's time to start masking some of those Hutson expectations. Hutson could easily go through a stretch where he fails to record points and not even beat the rookie record this season. It has been a good couple of weeks, but don't put too much on Hutson's shoulders yet.