Lane Hutson has come a long way from the start of the year when all of social media was clowning him for his many head fakes and abysmal plus/minus. Huston is now cementing himself as one of the Calder Trophy favorites and could quietly become one of the league's top defensemen. Don't believe me? Look at the stat the Hockey Night in Canada crew showed Saturday night.
Puck possession time leaders in the NHL this season:
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 11, 2025
1) Quinn Hughes (25 years old)
2) Cale Makar (26 years old)
3) Lane Hutson (20 years old) pic.twitter.com/pYQtbPOjuh
The defense position isn't what it used to be. The league's top defensemen used to be hard-hitting bruisers who punished their opponents with cross-checks to the back and physical body checks. However, modern-day Norris-caliber defensemen are puck-movers who can control the game with elite offensive play and puck possession, a sign of the sport's changing times.
The league isn't as physical as it used to be, so you don't need six defensemen over 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. Athletes like Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, and Adam Fox are becoming the faces of defense, and it could soon be time to add Hutson to that list. Hockey fans who aren't ready to accept the changing times couldn't fathom that early in the season, but Hutson finds himself just behind Makar and Hughes in an important stat for the new-look defenseman.
Hutson has the third-highest puck possession time in the league. He isn't far behind Makar and Hughes, which makes the stat even more impressive. It's easy to predict that Hutson will improve even more in that category as he gets more experience in the league, which means he could surpass the two defensemen in front of him over the next few seasons.
In a recent article, I looked at Hutson's place amongst the Calder Trophy ranks, but what happens if Hutson continues trending upward this season? He has 20 points in his last 21 games and is putting his name alongside the league's best. Is it possible that Hutson could get some Norris Trophy votes? He is currently ninth in scoring, but he will have to improve his plus/minus numbers to get a look at Norris votes.
Plus/minus is an outdated analytic, but it's something that outdated voters will look at when casting their ballots. If the Canadiens continue trending toward a playoff spot, Hutson's numbers should improve. However, they may not get good enough to compete with the league's media darlings.