NHL Prospect Roundup: Canadiens’ Lane Hutson, Devils’ Luke Hughes beating up the NCAA

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
NHL Prospect Roundup: Canadiens’ Lane Hutson, Devils’ Luke Hughes beating up the NCAA
Credit: Photo by Steven Ellis

By now, most junior leagues have already been active for at least a month. Outside of the NCAA, which plays most of its games on weekends, most development leagues have already played around 10 games, while European divisions have been active for around two months.

We’re starting to finally build more substantial sample sizes for the game’s top prospects, giving us more clarity on their development. Now that players have shaken off the early-season rust, we’re seeing some quality prospects shine through.

Here’s a look at 10 noteworthy NHL-drafted prospects from the past week:

NCAA

– A defenseman rarely challenges for an NCAA team lead in points, especially one with 11 NHL-drafted skaters. But Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson has been on fire early with Boston University, scoring three goals and eight points through seven games. He’s played in just about all situations for the school and is one of just a handful of blueliners to score twice in a game. Hutson’s offensive abilities are well known, with his 63-point USNTDP campaign last year putting him second all-time among single-season defensive performances. Cam York has the record at 65, with Hutson nudging out Adam Fox and Quinn Hughes. Hutson is just 5-foot-8, which is why he fell to the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, but the talent is there. Mississauga Steelheads forward Owen Beck has also been electric with 14 points in 10 games after signing his NHL entry-level contract. Keep an eye on him.

– Speaking of thriving NCAA defenders, New Jersey Devils prospect Luke Hughes is off to a tremendous start with the University of Michigan. Selected fourth overall by the Devils in 2021, Hughes had five points in his last three games, including a three-point effort against Western Michigan on Saturday. Hughes was one of USA top players at the summer World Junior Championship and he’ll have a chance to take overall tournament MVP honors this winter. He’s the real deal, Devils fans.

OHL

– When the Dallas Stars drafted Jordan Kyrou’s younger brother, Christian Kyrou, with the 50th pick in 2022, they knew they were getting a manipulative, scoring defenseman. That’s precisely what he’s done yet again with Erie, scoring 15 points in 13 games, including five points this past weekend. That was highlighted by a seven-shot, three-goal effort against Kitchener on Sunday, a wild effort given his position. He’s intelligent, well-rounded and knows how to move the puck, but he needs to shore up his shift-to-shift defensive play consistency.

WHL

– After an underwhelming 2021-22, Jayden Grubbe has upped his game in his fourth WHL campaign with the Red Deer Rebels. Through 11 games, the two-way forward has four goals and 15 points, including a pair of assists against Edmonton on Oct. 30. The New York Rangers prospect could make it to the NHL as a reliable defensive forward, but his uptick in offense is nice, too.

QMJHL

– Boston Bruins prospect Frédéric Brunet had a breakout 2021-22 season, bouncing up from a nine-point effort in 33 games in 2020-21 to scoring 12 goals and 46 points in 63 games. That led the Bruins to drafting the offensively minded defender in the fifth round, and it’s looking like a smart pick right now, Through 13 games with the Rimouski Oceanic, Brunet is up to 13 points, including a three-assist effort in a 5-1 win over Charlottetown on Sunday. He has points in all but two games as he remains an essential presence in the Oceanic lineup.

– After finishing one goal behind William Dufour for the QMJHL goal-scoring title last season, Quebec Remparts forward Zachary Bolduc is off to a hot start again. is picking up where he left off. The St. Louis Blues first-round pick in 2021 has eight goals and 21 points in just 10 games, good for ninth in the league. That puts him on a pace of 134 points, which, obviously, isn’t totally realistic in a 60-plus game season, but that gives him some wiggle room to smash his 99-point output last year. His season should be interrupted by a trip further east for the World Junior Championship, though.

USHL

– Nicholas Moldenhauer played just one game last week with the Chicago Steel, but he made it count with a three-point effort over Green Bay. Selected 95th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022, Moldenhauer has 10 goals and 16 points in 11 games, good to tie teammate Jayden Perron for the USHL league scoring lead. He’s well on pace to double his 43-point output in his NHL Draft year and should factor into Canada’s World Junior Championship selection plans.

AHL

– Many expected Simon Edvinsson to go straight to the NHL after a fantastic SHL campaign with Frolunda. Instead, the Detroit Red Wings sent him down to Grand Rapids to start 2022-23, and he has thrived with six points in six games. Edvinsson can slow the pace down to his liking and create chances that way and he can play on the special teams and against a team’s top competition. There’s an argument to be made that he’s ready for the NHL already, but the Red Wings are playing the patient game, and it should pay off.

– Through three starts and four games, Ivan Prosvetov has allowed one goal in three of them for the Tuscon Roadrunners so far. The 23-year-old Arizona Coyotes prospect has been one of the AHL’s standout goaltenders so far, outplaying veteran Jon Gillies by quite a bit. Prosvetov earned a couple of starts with the Coyotes last year and should be an injury call-up candidate this year, but it’s good to see him having success early. Mikko Matikka, a 2022 third-round pick, also deserves some love after a four-point weekend with USHL Madison.

KHL

– The Carolina Hurricanes have high hopes for defenseman Alexander Nikishin, the 21-year-old with SKA St. Petersburg. Selected 69th overall in 2020, Nikishin has 20 points in 25 games, easily surpassing his previous career-high of 12 with Spartak Moskva last year. The hard-nosed blueliner is in the final year of his KHL deal, allowing the Hurricanes to bring him over next summer. Carolina has a crowded defense core, but Nikishin can still be a solid piece of the team’s future.

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