While Montreal Canadiens fans are excited to see Lane Hutson’s numbers this season, they should lower their expectations and be patient with the young and talented candidate, warn two scouts who spied on him on numerous occasions this past year and this season have.
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The Canadian’s second-round pick last draft had a historic season in the NCAA. His 48 points in 38 games currently ranks third for best single-season production by an under-19 defenseman in NCAA history. On March 18, he scored the deciding goal in overtime to help the Boston University Terriers win the NCAA Hockey East Championship.
In a hot market like Montreal, literally everyone has their opinion on the young defenseman, and comparisons have been drawn to some of the NHL’s best attacking defensemen, Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes or Adam Fox. Makar (21 points), Hughes (29 points), and Fox (40 points) were all less productive than Hutson as an 18-year-old in the NCAA.
But putting them all in the same conversation is a dangerous game, says the first recruiter we spoke to, dubbed “number one recruiter.”
“Lane Hutson is not Cale Makar. One of the reasons Makar is special is because of his skating and Hutson is not a skater of the same level. At first you can’t put them both in the same category. You have to hand it to him, he’s a good batman. He’s dynamic but I still have big doubts as he’s a small defender who plays small. However, I don’t take anything from his vision of the game and his talent,” he said, adding that the team he works for had him “much further than where he came from” on their list in 2022 and that others simply hadn’t kept it in their final rankings.
A different rhythm
The second scout, introduced as “Recruiter number two,” agrees.
“Hutson is having an incredible season, he has the numbers of a dominant defender. You rarely see that at his age. But I’m also looking forward to seeing some things with him. The rhythm is completely different for the pros. He has three games in four nights and four games in six nights. At its size, it will be a big challenge.
“It gets mentally but also physically taxing when you break the 60-game plateau. There’s a big difference between a 40- or 45-game plan and another 70-82.
patience and development
Granted, the numbers he put up in his freshman year in the NCAA are exceptional, and our first responder reiterates that his doubts have nothing to do with his pure offensive talent, but rather that he’s not the best explosive skater for a defender of his greatness. It is then pointed out to Scout #1 that Quinn Hughes is not doing too badly in the NHL even though he is 5 ft. 10 in. and 180 lbs.
“You still talk to me about an extraordinary skater. Right now, Hutson’s size and skating is being pushed from side to side in the pros. You don’t have a trellis at the top anymore and if you’re 5ft 9 or 5ft 10 you get elbows in your face all the time. The risk of injury is greater.
“In college and junior, players don’t know how to use forecheck. It’s a different story in the NHL and Hutson will be part of other teams’ rosters if he doesn’t improve his speed.
Which projection?
Some have been claiming for several months that the CH have found their future offensive general in Hutson, which would be quite a feat given the rank at which he was selected (62nd overall).
The No. 1 scout, who works for a team in the West, is currently finding it difficult to establish a head start in his case.
“If he wants to establish himself in the NHL, he has to be a power play specialist. This will be his chair. For that, his skating needs to improve, as does his physical strength. I’ve also seen comparisons to Samuel Girard but he doesn’t have the balance of Sam who is also an exceptional skater. Hutson, his skating is average, his balance is average and he doesn’t skate very well backwards.”
Given the undeniable skills but many shortcomings, the latter hopes the organization and its supporters will be willing to bear with the Boston University Terriers color bearer.
“He’s going to have to spend a lot of time in the American Hockey League. It’s going to be very important in his development, a must. This is where we’ll really see if what he’s doing in the varsity ranks can work in the pros.
Hutson and the Terriers take on the Minnesota Gophers in the semifinals of the Frozen Four at 5 p.m. Thursday at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.
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