Lane Hutson had possibly the worst game of his career against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, finishing as a minus-5 in a 7-3 loss.
Fortunately for the Canadiens, they didn't have much time to dwell on the defeat, with a game scheduled for Sunday night against the New York Rangers. The Rangers-Canadiens rivalry is one that never disappoints, whether it be goaltending battles, scrappy play or plenty of goals. Hutson didn't hesitate on Sunday night, thankfully, because the work he does is what makes him so special.
St. Louis described Hutson as a rookie that isn't playing like a rookie, and when you watch him play, his confidence and skill intertwine to create a dynamic defenseman. Hutson has no fear to try different things, but he has the vision and awareness to only try things that he is confident he can pull off. The amount of times he has pulled off plays that didn't seem likely is a very high number, and he isn't a liability is his zone either.
“I know Lane Hutson is a rookie but I don’t think he’s playing like a rookie. He made a lot of plays tonight, I’m not surprised. Lane’s a hockey player. He’s gonna battle, he won some pucks in the corner against bigger guys. Lane is very talented. Lane is about the group. Lane is… pic.twitter.com/AgnI9zjSQw
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 20, 2025
Hutson slipped to pick 62 because of his size, and the thought was that he was a one-dimensional undersized defender. I think that it's bizarre that nobody thought to take a chance on him sooner, but thank the lord it played out like it did. Hutson is brilliant, and it's because he never stops trying to outsmart the opposition, and his processor has the next three steps planned before he receives the puck.
St. Louis touched on the fact that Hutson isn't conceited, and he always puts the team ahead of himself. When you watch him play, he is the type of player that does anything to create offense, and get the Habs scoring. He takes it upon himself to carry the puck up the ice, and create in the attacking zone, when the team needs a goal.
Hutson is a spark plug for the Canadiens, who drags the team through the fight, and take it upon himself to ignite the Habs offense.
Aatos Koivu leaned on uncle Mikko, who dealt with living in Saku's shadow
When Mikko Koivu was drafted in the 2001 draft with the sixth overall selection by the Minnesota Wild, his older brother Saku, had been in the league for seven seasons. Saku was in his third season as captain of the Canadiens during the 2001-02 draft, and he was coming off a 47-point season. Mikko made his NHL debut in the 2005-2006 season for the Wild, scoring 21 points through 64 games.
Naturally, Saku's son, Aatos, who was drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft has plenty of hockey knowledge, oozing through his veins. So, when he was selected, it was likely that his dad and uncle had helped him a little through the way. But he spoke, specifically about his uncle, who dealt with entering the league in his older brother's footsteps.
Mikko was a fine player, but Saku was captain for an original six franchise, and he had a quite successful career ahead of Mikko's arrival, and that continued afterward, as well. Aatos has been in the Finnish Liiga, with TPS, for the second consecutive season. In my opinion, he is a bit of a long-term hopeful, but if he has the work ethic and talent of his dad and uncle, he could be quite the value pick in the third round.