At his current pace, Lane Hutson will set a new career-high in minutes per game, which might not be good. In the Montreal Canadiens season opener, Hutson played about his average, with just over 24 minutes. In the previous two games, he has played over 29 minutes a game, and while you want your best players to command the most ice time, it might not be what is best for the Canadiens over an entire season.
Hutson is one of the more dynamic players on Montreal’s roster, but playing him that many minutes could have a diminishing effect late in the season. Besides injuries, which will always be a factor with players who play that many minutes, there is also the concern of fatigue. The Canadiens clearly do not trust their depth on defence, and while Kaiden Guhle will help once he returns, you are one injury away from being stuck back in the same situation.
Too Hutson-heavy
To start, this has nothing to do with Hutson’s play. He has been fantastic, recording four assists through three games while playing a ton of minutes. Last season, Hutson played a career-high 23:46 minutes per game, but he is on pace to shatter that, averaging 27:31 through three games. The problem is not about how it will affect his play right now, but in April, when the Canadiens are hopefully preparing to be in the playoffs. Mike Matheson's heavy workload during the 2024-25 season raised some of the same concerns, especially when turnovers became an issue.
While the two are completely different players, the Canadiens run the same risks by playing Hutson nearly 30 minutes a night this early in the season. Hutson ranks fifth in the NHL in average ice time, and that is with his opening-night total bringing his average way down. It just should not be the plan over the course of the whole season, especially with the extra two games this year.
If Hutson were playing these types of minutes in the playoffs, there may not be many people who would disagree with that decision. Your season is on the line, and Hutson being out on the ice gives the Canadiens the best chance at winning. This situation is different, considering Montreal has only played three games this season and the defensive depth has already become an issue.
Hutson is averaging nearly three minutes per game more than Matheson, and over four minutes per game more than Noah Dobson. Matheson and Dobson are playing close to their averages from last season, with Hutson’s numbers getting a huge boost, which likely has to do with the team’s third pairing struggling. If the Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble pairing cannot figure it out, something needs to change.
Defensive change is in order
Xhekaj and Struble both played around nine minutes against the Carolina Hurricanes, which explains why Hutson’s minutes were inflated. The third pairing struggled, with both Xhekaj and Struble being on the ice for the Hurricanes' first two goals. Martin St. Louis has been reluctant to use the two together in previous seasons, and that cannot continue this season.
The Canadiens have Adam Engstrom, and if the minutes from last game are any indication, Engstrom could make his season debut in the not-so-distant future. Engstrom gives the Canadiens another defenceman who can move the puck up the ice, which is not something Xhekaj and Struble excel at. However, the Canadiens' biggest problem is not generating offence, but keeping the puck out of their own net.
Through three games, the Canadiens are third-worst in the league in goals against per game at 4.67. For a team with aspirations of making another deep playoff run, that just is not good enough. Goaltending has not been perfect, but Jakub Dobes should not take all the blame for the Canadiens' defensive struggles. At times, Montreal struggles to get the puck out of their own end, leading to second and third-chance scoring opportunities for the opponents.
Whether it is time to recall David Reinbacher, who prides himself on his defensive game, or look outside the organization for a veteran defensive presence, the Canadiens need to find a solution before their lack of depth starts having a negative effect on Hutson.
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