Prospect Info: [2022 - 62nd] Lane Hutson (NCAA - Boston University)

[Kojo]

I'd give him 2.

3 years in college, like Farrell

If he keeps dominating like that and improve his skating like Caufield did he should only play one more year in college. I really like Farrell, he's our most NHL-ready prospect but Hutson is on another level.

 

[SlafySZN]

I'd give him 2.

3 years in college, like Farrell

Farrell is in his 2nd year playing for Harvard, he stayed in the USHL one more year because of covid.

 

[Kojo]

Farrell is in his 2nd year playing for Harvard, he stayed in the USHL one more year because of covid.

Farrell took online courses throughout covid so it's still his third year at Harvard. He's going to be a math genius who can play hockey in the NHL, I can't wait to see that.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Unless he slumps massively in year 2, there's no way Hutson goes back for year 3.

 

[viceroy]

I'm very relaxed.

Yeah? Well I'm so relaxed I'm incontinent.

 

[jaffy27]

Unless he slumps massively in year 2, there's no way Hutson goes back for year 3.

Skill wise, i don’t believe he needs 2 more years after this year but when we talking about physical maturation, BU will probably be beneficial for him.

He’ll get 1 more crack at the U20 next season and by the end of the 2024-25 season, he’ll join the Habs well seasoned and confident and hopefully tipping the scale north of 185lbs.

This should also allow the Habs the time to sort out their bodies on defence, who’s staying and who’s going.

Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and Barron should all be pillars on the back end by 2024-25

We’ll see where Mailloux and Struble are in their development, same with Engstrom and Norlinder.

Nice to see the abundance of talent we have in the system.

 

[Tanknation]

Plus at the rate he's going he'll be 6'2, maybe even 6'8 when he's done..

Turns out they fooled us all. It's Zdeno Chara's son, Lane Chara.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Skill wise, i don’t believe he needs 2 more years after this year but when we talking about physical maturation, BU will probably be beneficial for him.

He’ll get 1 more crack at the U20 next season and by the end of the 2024-25 season, he’ll join the Habs well seasoned and confident and hopefully tipping the scale north of 185lbs.

This should also allow the Habs the time to sort out their bodies on defence, who’s staying and who’s going.

Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and Barron should all be pillars on the back end by 2024-25

We’ll see where Mailloux and Struble are in their development, same with Engstrom and Norlinder.

Nice to see the abundance of talent we have in the system.

We have the luxury of time to evaluate the situation. My personal guess is he goes back to BU for next season (obviously) and he either starts the following season in the AHL or NHL.

That’s not to say that a 3rd season in college wouldn’t or shouldn’t happen depending how next season plays out. It’s just not something I see happening based on current development path. The only reason to stay in college for him would be for physical maturation like you said.

 

[26Mats]

Skill wise, i don’t believe he needs 2 more years after this year but when we talking about physical maturation, BU will probably be beneficial for him.

He’ll get 1 more crack at the U20 next season and by the end of the 2024-25 season, he’ll join the Habs well seasoned and confident and hopefully tipping the scale north of 185lbs.

This should also allow the Habs the time to sort out their bodies on defence, who’s staying and who’s going.

Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and Barron should all be pillars on the back end by 2024-25

We’ll see where Mailloux and Struble are in their development, same with Engstrom and Norlinder.

Nice to see the abundance of talent we have in the system.

We've got a lot of very good prospects on the back end. But to be cup contenders, you need a special group. It remains to be seen whether we have an abundance of NHLers, or a special group.

Guhle looks like he'll be special in his own right. But we need at least two of Xhekaj, Barron, Mailloux, and Hutson to also be really good. A big 3 (or 4!) plus 3 defensively solid, serviceable NHL dman would be nice.

 

[Habs Icing]

Yeah? Well I'm so relaxed I'm incontinent.

So which continent are you in?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Skill wise, i don’t believe he needs 2 more years after this year but when we talking about physical maturation, BU will probably be beneficial for him.

He’ll get 1 more crack at the U20 next season and by the end of the 2024-25 season, he’ll join the Habs well seasoned and confident and hopefully tipping the scale north of 185lbs.

This should also allow the Habs the time to sort out their bodies on defence, who’s staying and who’s going.

Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and Barron should all be pillars on the back end by 2024-25

We’ll see where Mailloux and Struble are in their development, same with Engstrom and Norlinder.

Nice to see the abundance of talent we have in the system.

BU will be very beneficial for him for another year.. after that, I think it will be important to put him in the AHL, at the very least, and let him figure out how he has to adapt his game against players with NHL size and strength.

Even if he fills out, he's still not gonna be strong enough at his size for some forwards, he will have to learn to adapt. So if he puts up another insane productive year in BU, and has had two years and off-seasons in the gym, he should go to the AHL.

 

[26Mats]

Unless he slumps massively in year 2, there's no way Hutson goes back for year 3.

I wonder about this. Because, if he's progressing well physically, but isn't yet there weight wise, it may be better for him to stay in the NCAA and continue to steadily gain weight, than to play in the AHL.

Even if his offensive numbers would be huge in a 3rd year in the NCAA, he might still have a lot to learn defensively, and about being a number 1 dman that plays 25 minutes a night.

But I see the argument that he'll be 2 and done. I'd just like to see where he's at physically towards the end of year 2.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I wonder about this. Because, if he's progressing well physically, but isn't yet there weight wise, it may be better for him to stay in the NCAA and continue to steadily gain weight, than to play in the AHL.

Even if his offensive numbers would be huge in a 3rd year in the NCAA, he might still have a lot to learn defensively, and about being a number 1 dman that plays 25 minutes a night.

But I see the argument that he'll be 2 and done. I'd just like to see where he's at physically towards the end of year 2.

He's going to be their #1 d man next year as I'm pretty sure Fensore is gone.

I just worry more about picking up some bad habits if he goes back for a 3rd year and is so above the competition there, then have to rectify those bad habits coming into the AHL.

He should be pretty close to as physically ready as he can be for AHL level at the end of next year, and if he isn't, he's gonna have to learn how to survive either way 'cause its unlikely he'll ever be strong enough. Two years post draft should be enough to have a significant improvement there.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

I'd give him 2.

3 years in college, like Farrell

He should grow at least 3/4 of an inch by then.

 

[waitin425]

Hutson should go back for one more year. Next year at the end of the College season he should turn pro and play the last 10 or so games for us (and potentially playoffs )

Rookie season 2024-25.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

He's going to be their #1 d man next year as I'm pretty sure Fensore is gone.

I just worry more about picking up some bad habits if he goes back for a 3rd year and is so above the competition there, then have to rectify those bad habits coming into the AHL.

He should be pretty close to as physically ready as he can be for AHL level at the end of next year, and if he isn't, he's gonna have to learn how to survive either way 'cause its unlikely he'll ever be strong enough. Two years post draft should be enough to have a significant improvement there.

Exactly. The things he will have left to work on after next season are adjustments for pro hockey that he won’t be able to get from playing a 3rd year of college.

It’s going to be about strength, timing and positioning against bigger and faster players.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

 

[morhilane]

That means Lane is BU's leading dmen? I had the impression he wasn't...

 

[WeThreeKings]

That means Lane is BU's leading dmen? I had the impression he wasn't...

Fensore gets PP1 and is usually deployed as the first pairing.. but Fensore has been hurt last few weeks and Lane has had a lot more icetime since, so that can skew the numbers a bit.

 

[tooji]

My favourite part about lane is that he’s entertaining as f*** to watch. It’s been a while since we’ve had a player like that (caufield has started to become this player recently)

 

[Redux91]

I think it's beyond obvious
He plays NCAA next year, signs Habs at the end of the NCAA season
AHL for entire '24-'25
And depending how that AHL season goes, proceed accordingly

 

[Skip Bayless]

Yeah? Well I'm so relaxed I'm incontinent.

 

[rahad]

He's also the exact type of player that teams like to play College Hockey (skilled, but need to develop in a couple of areas and add muscle/weight). NCAA is the perfect place for him.

NCAA or university hockey have been the perfect place for the last 10 years. They are better then juniors hockey. I wish player drafted from CHL have the option to play in university for 1 or 2 years before jumping into the NHL/AHL.

Just take a look at the last 5 years. Makar, Fox, Berniers and Power. Is great for player that need the one year extra to develop for the NHL/AHL.

 

[Maitz]

Just by stat watching the guy he could have 45 pts as a freshmen this year, that’s pretty impressive, he is dynamic as hell and if he ends up 5’10 180 in like 2 years he will be a total steal. He is so shifty, I could see him adapt to the NHL pretty quickly.

 

[Sterling Archer]

I think it's beyond obvious
He plays NCAA next year, signs Habs at the end of the NCAA season
AHL for entire '24-'25
And depending how that AHL season goes, proceed accordingly

Agreed up until 24-25 season. I think it depends how he does in camp. Like Guhle, Xhekaj who impressed enough to win a spot, it'll be up to him. If he shows well but no space, they may do a Barron and send him down for half the year and call him up if there's an injury or trade. Too much of a variable to say one way or another. He's been so impressive this year that I could see him win a spot out of camp if Habs don't fill that skillset by then.

Just by stat watching the guy he could have 45 pts as a freshmen this year, that’s pretty impressive, he is dynamic as hell and if he ends up 5’10 180 in like 2 years he will be a total steal. He is so shifty, I could see him adapt to the NHL pretty quickly.

He's already a massive steal. If he was 5'10 at the draft, I'd reckon he'd be a top 10 pick. In another year of development, he may be a top 5. Screams of Caufield but on D.