Lane Hutson has put on a show to start his rookie season with the Montreal Canadiens, which some didn't believe was possible.
But just like in college, Hutson hits the ice and there is almost always something exciting about to happen. it was believe by many that Hutson would have to change his style or maybe the schedule would warrant him to slow down. But that hasn't happened, in fact he has enjoyed the increase in games played.
- What are you enjoying most about the NHL so far, Lane?
— Brian Wilde (@BWildeMTL) October 13, 2024
- Just that we play so many games. We have played 3 games already. That’s 2 weeks in the college.
- what was it like waiting until 62 to be picked?
- I was pretty annoyed. But I could not be happier to be in Montreal.
If anything, Hutson developed a chip on his shoulder because he slid down the draft board. The uber-confident offensive-minded defenceman felt he deserved to be drafted sooner. Luckily for the Canadiens, he is happy in Montreal, and he has shown all the skills and poise that the Habs knew was possible when they drafted him.
It's only a matter of time before Hutson ends up on the top power play, and while it seems crazy to think about so early on, he has done nothing short of impress everybody who has watched him play.
Hutson is changing things
The Canadiens have been getting an increase in high-danger scoring chances when Hutson is on the ice, which has forced the Habs to put him out often. Every time he touches the puck, he creates space for himself and his vision helps him push the pace with crisp passes. The Canadiens have needed such creativity on their blueline since the PK Subban days, and now that they have it, it's easy to see improvement.
Hutson is only getting better and more confident, which is a beautiful thing for the Canadiens, but a scary one for the rest of the league. Guys like Adam Fox, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes came in and made immediate impacts. While their teams were good before them, they changed a lot of things for their teams.
All signs point to Hutson doing the same, and when you look at him, he looks like a kid who is just having fun out there. It doesn't look like hard work, but not many defenders have the abilities that he has; it is a hard thing to play in the NHL. It's even more difficult to do as a rookie but to thrive like he has this early into his career, it's stumbling into wow factor territory.
Hutson is changing things for the Habs offense and once he leapfrogs Mike Matheson on the number one power play, I think the sky could be the limit. Point per game seems attainable, and I expect the forwards will see an increase in their offensive production. Things are changing because of Hutson, and he has been what the Canadiens have needed for a long time.