Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson ready to make big impact with USA’s world junior team
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PLYMOUTH, Mich. – It’s starting to look like the biggest theme from the 2022 NHL Draft was finding value.
No team understands that better than the Montreal Canadiens, who selected defenseman Lane Hutson at 62nd overall. Many scouts labeled him as one of the most creative, offensively driven blueliners in the draft. But at the core of his game, many were still concerned about his 5-foot-9 frame.
So far, his on-ice performance has been electric. Through 16 games, Hutson has seven goals and 18 points for Boston University, two points clear of Michigan’s Seamus Casey for the points lead among Draft+1 NCAA defensemen. In fact, they’re the only two to have more than six points, and Hutson’s brilliance has put him second in scoring at BU. At this point, he’s not only the best defensive freshman, but he’s one of the best first-years in the league, period.
Hutson is having a season to remember. And the hype is real. Canadiens fans have been obsessed with his game this year, which is understandable given the output.
“Some people bring it up, I really don’t look too much into it, but I hear about it every once in a while,” Hutson said about the online attention he has received. “It’s pretty funny.”
Hutson’s freshman season has been temporarily placed on hold, with the 18-year-old trying to make USA’s World Junior Championship squad. While the final roster hasn’t been named yet, most expect Hutson to play a role in the top two pairings and he worked a bit on power-play mechanics during Thursday’s practice session at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth.
Given USA’s depth on the blueline – perhaps the best in the tournament – Hutson needed a good start to make the camp roster in the first place. It’s safe to say he nailed that.
“Obviously, (making USA’s roster) was always in the back of my mind, but when I’m at BU, it’s all about BU,” Hutson said. “And anything extra that comes up, I’m ready for it.”
Hutson isn’t a stranger to USA Hockey. His 63-point campaign with the U.S. National Team Development Program is second all-time by a defenseman in a single season, trailing Cam York by two points and beating Adam Fox and Quinn Hughes. All-time, York (103) is the only player to have more points than Hutson’s 90. He had over a point per game at every international tournament he participated in with the USNTDP and even played at the 2020 Youth Olympics before joining the USNTDP.
So, if Hutson ends up sticking with the club, expect them to give him every opportunity to generate offense from the point. And it helps that’s he comfortable with the group, too: he played with the U-18 team in back-to-back seasons, so he’s played with most of the core at some point. That includes Casey and Ryan Chesley, who he skated with last year.
“It’s good to see how these guys look now,” Hutson said. “Everyone’s gotten so much bigger, stronger and better. It’s been a good challenge playing them in practice.”
The biggest knock against Hutson is his 5-foot-9 frame, which has dogged the conversation since he arrived on the draft scene. At every level, he’s been one of the top scorers everywhere he has gone, which is incredible as a defenseman. Like Anaheim Ducks prospect Olen Zellweger, Hutson’s like a fourth forward, and that’s huge.
NHL Central Scouting listed him at 5-foot-8 and a half and 148 pounds ahead of the draft. USA’s camp roster has him listed at 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds. A bit of an increase, but not much. There have been some that have managed to succeed around that size, however. For reference, Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon (5-foot-9, 166 pounds) and St. Louis’ Torey Krug (5-foot-9, 194 pounds) are two smaller standouts. Hutson specifically cites Krug is an influence on his play.
“It’s a concern, for sure,” a scout said. “But it’s overblown, as well. He’s got the talent to make up for it. There aren’t many defensemen his size in the NHL for a reason, but in the right situation, that might not matter in Hutson’s case.”
But it’s one thing to be dominant against college or junior players – the NHL is a whole other ballgame. That transition to the next level will be the biggest challenge, but Hutson has time on his side. From a physical standpoint, some extra time will serve him exceptionally well. Huston said he’s focused on the current season and hasn’t had discussions with the Canadiens about the next steps. Hutson is focused on his NCAA rookie campaign and making USA’s WJC squad, with the team expected to go for gold.
In terms of what he’s done to improve his game, Hutson said, “It’s always been about shooting pucks, that’s something that I always pride myself in getting better at and I feel like I’ve gotten better at it. Also getting faster, stronger, too.”
Hutson’s career is just starting, but his CV stands for itself. He’s a puck-moving defenseman that likes to shoot, generate chances and has speed to burn. If he makes USA – and he definitely should – he’ll be one of USA’s top scorers. Luke Hughes will be excellent, and the rest of the lineup’s depth should be enough to carry the load.
Don’t be surprised if he’s in the tournament all-star team conversation this year, either.