Lane Hutson Burgeoning Star Watch

[OilerTitanFan]

Habs fan pumping a bust who dangles around and turns it over nonstop. The dangles are good for Instagram highlight reels and nothing more. He can't play in a structured environment. Not a team player. Montreal can keep tanking for more first round picks. Too bad there won't be a mcdavid to save their ass. They're drafting a bunch of yakupovs like slafkovsky and Caufield.

 

[OilerTitanFan]

Jeezus. I'm a neutral here (fan of the former team once known as the Arizona Coyotes) and I'm offended by your post on behalf of other Habs fans.

Hutson is young. There is EVERY chance that in the next 3-5 years he'll figure out how to play D in his own zone (and in the neutral zone as well). If he does that while at least maintaining (most likely developing) his offensive instincts, he's at least a top pairing D and most likely a legitimate #1.

Meanwhile, the Habs won't be competing AT LEAST for the next 3-5 years and maybe more than that. So Hutson has at least the next 3-5 years to improve, he'll have every chance to work on his defensive game because he's already earning a regular shift. If he sorts things out during that time (which imo is rather likely) most likely he'll become a true #1 by the time the Habs are ready to compete.

***

In the meantime, "I just don't see the point of your post" because it seems you're assuming Hutson can't / won't improve from where he is right now, which is a 20 year old defenseman playing hard minutes in the NHL. Which is already quite impressive, most D-men his age aren't even playing in the NHL let alone showing flashes of offensive dominance. The way he's playing so far in his career should be celebrated by hockey fans across the league, not just by Habs fans.

Assuming you're a Habs fan, you need to do better. You have a very good young player in Hutson.

He's playing because there's nobody else to throw out there. Let's not be stupid here. Montreal's team is paper thin. Forwards are all mediocre, no superstar talent like Crosby or malkin. The D is nowhere close to Lindstrom and letang level. Add all that up and you'll see 5 more years of rebuild

 

[Kennedys]

Habs fan pumping a bust who dangles around and turns it over nonstop. The dangles are good for Instagram highlight reels and nothing more. He can't play in a structured environment. Not a team player. Montreal can keep tanking for more first round picks. Too bad there won't be a mcdavid to save their ass. They're drafting a bunch of yakupovs like slafkovsky and Caufield.

I'm a Habs fan watching all the Habs games and i can't remember Hutson "turns it over nonstop". But as an Oilers fan you probably know more than me so there's that.

 

[General Fanager]

Top 15 in points for Dmen
By far most points by rookie Dmen
Tied for 2nd in Rookie points overall
He is 20 and getting used to the NHL. If they can teach him to be even average defensively he will be a monster.


Guys in here are really saying he sucks??? A lot of teams made a massive mistake not taking this guy....

Habs fan pumping a bust who dangles around and turns it over nonstop. The dangles are good for Instagram highlight reels and nothing more. He can't play in a structured environment. Not a team player. Montreal can keep tanking for more first round picks. Too bad there won't be a mcdavid to save their ass. They're drafting a bunch of yakupovs like slafkovsky and Caufield.

You clearly don't watch The Habs at all.....

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Habs fan pumping a bust who dangles around and turns it over nonstop. The dangles are good for Instagram highlight reels and nothing more. He can't play in a structured environment. Not a team player. Montreal can keep tanking for more first round picks. Too bad there won't be a mcdavid to save their ass. They're drafting a bunch of yakupovs like slafkovsky and Caufield.

See folks,

That’s the way you do it.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Top 15 in points for Dmen
By far most points by rookie Dmen
Tied for 2nd in Rookie points overall
He is 20 and getting used to the NHL. If they can teach him to be even average defensively he will be a monster.

His D is better than I expected. He’s not bad at all. You just need to accept the limitations. He’s never going to be great at clearing the crease. He’s going to have a size disadvantage… no amount of training will fix that. But that doesn’t make him a liability. He’s still pretty good without the puck.

What you will see is the same thing you’ll see with any puck carrying blueliner, there will be some giveaways/mistakes with the puck. It happens more with these kinds of guys because they have the puck so often.

 

[Bileur]

See folks,

That’s the way you do it.

Guns a blazing

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

His D is better than I expected. He’s not bad at all. You just need to accept the limitations. He’s never going to be great at clearing the crease. He’s going to have a size disadvantage… no amount of training will fix that. But that doesn’t make him a liability. He’s still pretty good without the puck.

What you will see is the same thing you’ll see with any puck carrying blueliner, there will be some giveaways/mistakes with the puck. It happens more with these kinds of guys because they have the puck so often.

I agree with a lot of this. I'd characterize him as below average defensively overall, but he's not some massive liability like some would have you believe. The biggest opportunity for improvement is puck management around the blue lines, and continuing to improve his transition skating. He takes some unnecessary risks, but he's a rookie, it's to be expected.

There's no reason he can't become a passable defensive player.

 

[NyQuil]

What he already does have is something you can't teach.

The rest of his game you can.

He's 20.

I was at the 9-2 loss at the Bell Centre against the Penguins, and while that 3rd period was an absolute disaster, there were a few shifts in the 1st period where he dominated the Pens at will much like EK used to do to teams in Ottawa.

He probably wouldn't have the same opportunity on other (playoff) teams, but Montreal recognizes that and is getting him some early reps at NHL speed which could accelerate his development.