Looking ahead to Ivan Demidov - Lane Hutson duo

Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson will add some dynamic skill to the Montreal Canadiens lineup.

Hutson is set to start making an impact this season, while Demidov is a season away. PK Subban was the last defenseman who could completely take over shifts for Montreal, but there are high hopes Hutson will do the same. Alex Kovalev is the last winger with pure skill who dominated games when the puck was on his stick, which Demidov has shown the capability of doing also. 

The thought of adding them together, whether it be at 5-on-5 or during the power play is an intriguing prospect. Hutson simply makes opposing defenders miss routinely, and his vision allows him to make plays that few others would see. Demidov has a skating style - East-West - that keeps defences guessing, and his quick release freezes goalies. 

Adding these two to the current core should be reason for Habs fans to get excited. They could potentially be the two most talented Habs. Though Juraj Slafkovsky could make an argument that he is in that conversation. 

Back-to-back Calder Trophy candidates?

If all goes well, Hutson will likely throw his name in the hat for the 2024-25 season rookie of the year. There will be some good competition, Matvei Michkov comes to mind, but Hutson has the talent to be in the conversation. With health and NHL coaching, Hutson could be the next small, offensive defenseman to take the league by storm. 

As for Demidov, he may play some games towards the end of the 2025-26 season, but his rookie season is slotted for next year. Without knowing who debuts this year and next, it’s hard to know what the rookie group will look like. But Demidov’s style and flare for the dramatic, all but assure he will be in the conversation for the best of his rookie class. 

The goal is to get better - through drafting and developing talent in-house - the Habs will push the needle in the right direction emphatically with Hutson and Demidov. That’s not to mention whoever they draft next year and the development of David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Owen Beck and Michael Hage to name a few. 

With young talent funnelling into the organization over the next few seasons, the Habs are sure to be a young, exciting and fast-paced team for many seasons to come.