Lane Hutson earns praise for prospect tournament brilliance

If you haven't watched the Montreal Canadiens' two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, I suggest you type in Lane Hutson on your X formerly Twitter search bar.

Hutson was the best player on the ice, arguably for both teams. At times, it was curious why he was even playing when you think about how dominant he looked. Each time the puck was on his stick he was creating chances, that few others would dream of trying.

Be it a head fake or juke, Hutson has always got a trove of tricks to beat opponents. Even when it seems like he might lose the puck, he corrals it and then pulls off a jaw-dropping sequence. If Hutson is on the ice, especially these last two days, it's worth it to watch what he is doing, because he is the type of play who will sell plenty of merchandise.

It's only rookie camp, but wow

If you thought to yourself, "Well, it's only rookie camp, it isn't against full-time NHL players," you might be partially right. But he stood out from everybody, looking like he was practicing and just getting ready for the real competition. I'm not suggesting that the Leafs don't have competent prospects, because they do, but Hutson is a cut above the competition.

I'm not sure how far he will climb this upcoming season, but just when you think you have seen it all, Hutson pulls something else out of his hat. The competitor that is Hutson, is what makes him so special, if the team needs a goal, he will do his best to facilitate one. He is a play driver who makes those around him better.

While he hasn't had much opportunity thus far to play amongst the Canadiens' brightest stars, he has proven plenty alongside the brightest Habs prospects. The fact that he will have an increase in talent around him when the Canadiens commence their preseason is the ultimate reason to be hopeful. With players as talented as him to work with, Hutson's ceiling should increase quite a bit before he hits his prime.