Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov are everything Canadiens fans ever dreamed of

For years, it felt like the Montreal Canadiens were on the search for a dynamic forward and puck-moving defenceman. Habs fans went years without having a forward that, on a nightly basis, can create plays that make your mouth drop, maybe since Alexei Kovalev in the late 2000’s. The wait for puck-moving defenceman has not been as long, but since the P.K. Subban trade, the Canadiens lacked a defenceman who could generate offence. The wait is now over, as the Canadiens have found both and could be on the cusp of having back-to-back Calder Trophy winners, the first time that has happened since the 1967-68 season.

The Canadiens' scouting department deserves considerable credit for identifying talent, a task the franchise has struggled with over the last 20 years. It used to feel like the Canadiens were drafting based on fit and profile over best player available, none more glaring than taking Jesperi Kotkaniemi over Brady Tkachuk. The Canadiens’ scouting department has improved significantly, to the point where every pick they make feels like they have struck gold, specifically in the first round. The franchise was able to go from a rebuilding team to a playoff contender in a very short amount of time, thanks in large part to drafting Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov.

Canadiens taking a chance

The entire NHL passed on Hutson in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, which includes the Canadiens, who selected him in the second round, 62nd overall, their fourth pick of the draft. The talent was evident, but his size (5 ft 8 and 150 lbs) became a huge talking point about whether his style of play could be effective in the NHL. Well, just over a year and a half into his career, it is safe to say that Hutson has been better than anyone could have expected. He is not just excelling, he is breaking records. He tied the NHL record for assists by a rookie defenceman last season and set franchise records for assists (60) and points (66) by a rookie defenceman.

This season, Hutson has been even better and has quickly become one of the premier offensive defencemen in the league. The level of production Hutson is displaying can only be rivalled by Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar and Minnesota Wild’s Quinn Hughes. Hughes and Hutson's games are quite similar. Whether it is the way they skate with the puck or their production on the offensive end, they mirror each other. The only thing is, through both players' first 134 career games, it is Hutson who has the edge in goals (15), assists (105), and points (120). Canadiens fans have been begging for the franchise to add a puck-moving defenceman since moving on from Subban in 2016, and even though the now ESPN broadcaster has a Norris Trophy to his name, he was not producing to the same level as Hutson is right now.

Learning from past mistakes

A Russian-born skilled winger who is under contract with a KHL team falls to the fifth pick in the NHL Draft, sounds familiar? The scenario happened in both the 2023 and 2024 NHL Drafts. In 2023, it was Matvei Michkov who fell to the fifth overall pick, where the Canadiens were selecting, but instead chose to select defenceman David Reinbacher. The Canadiens were criticized by fans and media for passing on Michkov, so when that opportunity fell into their lap again in the 2024 NHL Draft, they capitalized on it. Macklin Celebrini was the consensus best player in that draft, but after him, there were no players as talented as Ivan Demidov. It did not take long for Demidov to prove just that, winning the Rookie of the Year trophy in the KHL, then immediately terminating his contract with SKA St. Petersburg to join the Canadiens for the end of the season and their playoff stint.

Demidov dazzled fans from his very first game, scoring a goal and adding an assist against the Chicago Blackhawks. The expectations were high coming into this season for Demidov, with betting sites having him as the favourite to win this year's Calder Trophy. Demidov has been everything Canadiens fans could have ever asked for, as he leads all rookies in scoring with 43 points. However, it is not just his production that has the league on notice, but it is his unique ability to create plays out of nothing that has fans mesmerized. It is a quality the Canadiens have been missing since Kovalev left for the Ottawa Senators in 2009. It feels like there is a play every game where Demidov does something that can not be taught; it is a gift that he was born with. No better example than the play against the Wild to set up Hutson’s goal. While most would have taken a shot in the situation, Demidov fakes the shot and slides it over to Hutson, who fires it past Jesper Wallstedt. Demidov has a unique ability that almost feels instinctive, making him a threat whenever he is on the ice.