Maple Leafs Fan/TSN Analyst wants Lane Hutson sent to Laval

Considering their heavy Toronto Maple Leafs bias, TSN's Overdrive show with Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill, and Jamie McLennan may not be appointment viewing for Montreal Canadiens fans. However, they occasionally fit the Habs into their timeslot, which they did on Monday's episode. It makes sense, considering the Leafs fans were riding high after Toronto's win on Saturday night, and "ODog" took the opportunity to bash the Canadiens and suggest Lane Hutson's future.

O'Neill's suggestion isn't the worst idea. He believes the Canadiens should consider sending Hutson down to the Laval Rocket to join one of the top AHL teams. The reasoning is that the Canadiens are building a losing culture with their struggling veterans, and O'Neill doesn't see the point in poisoning Hutson's winning mindset. Chris Johnston joined the show in the same block and agreed with O'Neill's idea.

Laval has an elite defensive unit with Adam Engstrom, Logan Mailloux, William Trudeau, and Gustav Lindstrom leading the way. The Rocket are already one of the top teams in the league, and Hutson would likely dominate if he went down to ride the busses. It isn't wild to think Hutson could be the top defenseman in the league, as he dominates possession at times at the NHL level. Hutson would maintain his confidence for the year and make a Calder Cup run to create a new winning culture in the organization. He would also form a relationship with Pascal Vincent, who could be a future coach in Montreal.

So, what is the downside of Hutson going to Laval? The blue line will get even worse in Montreal, which could be a disaster. Hutson isn't the greatest defensively, but he is one of the lone bright spots. Hutson also has an outside chance of winning the Calder Trophy, as he sits third on most sportsbooks behind Logan Stankoven and Matvei Michkov. In a season with not much to celebrate, a Calder Trophy run could be something that keeps the fans invested in March and April.

The front office has to decide whether there would be any benefit to Hutson going to Laval. It's soon time to pull the plug on this season, and there will be some challenging decisions to make. Will Hutson be one of those decisions?