Player Discussion Lane Hutson Part 2

[SlafySZN]

Hutson must also be a challenging player to coach as he doesn't fit traditional patterns.

The rule of thumb for small players, for as long as I've been following hockey and probably longer, is that if you're small you need to be fast. I remember Gallagher saying he got that advice from Gionta. It certainly applies to coach Martin St-Louis, who could keep opposing forwards honest due to bring a breakaway threat. Paul Coffey is probably the most famous archetype. I have read that he would wear skates that were too small to be faster.

Anyway, part of the reason these rules of thumb matter is that it's what coaches are used to and what other players are used to. Any successful player that fits a niche likely does so by having evolved in a system where his niches are compatible and complementary with the other niches.

Hutson is a unique player: exceptionally high offensive IQ and aptitude, but small, slow, and ineffective defensively. It may not be easy for any coach be it the US team coach or his future NHL coaches to fit him into a system, as he's a chess piece they have not used before. It's also the case that coaches can't be sheltering or adjusting for half of their roster, it becomes too complicated.

I assume that this is not an issue in the NCAA because the opposing teams are not skilled enough to adequately exploit Hutson.

There are multiple ways this can go.

What some fans assume is that St Louis has God-level intelligence and multitasking skill. He's going to simultaneously shelter Hutson, Caulfield, incubate any young players that need to develop, maximize the trade value of every vet, and win games. I'm skeptical.

Another possibility is that the Habs' becomes such a good team, that in a few years Hutson is the only player that needs to be sheltered. Perhaps he can be a better version of Desharnais.

I think that Hutson needs to spend at least a full year in the AHL. He needs to build his strength and skating as much as he can. The coach needs to be willing to challenge by giving him PK time and dzone starts. Maybe he can be on a pair with Reinbacher next year.

Hutson is nowhere near slow or ineffective defensively.

 

[Team_Spirit]

That play was insane he had his stick perfectly flat on the ice

Bend it like Hutson

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Their usage of CC was baffling

They must thought Arthur kaliyev was a budding star

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Hutson is nowhere near slow or ineffective defensively.

He is terrible defensively and his speed is absolutely below NHL average. He has alot of work to do and not admitting his weaknesses isn't going to change that.

 

[malcb33]

I thought this was quite interesting.


At 31:41 Jussi Ahokas (Kitchener Rangers coach) talks about the future of hockey moving towards less structured "positionless" plays. I think Lane fits this mould perfectly, but as some mentioned, it would need to be a system structured around Lane's strengths, kind of like how how the old Red army teams played.

 

[GHJimmy]

He is a much better skater than Subban

He is terrible defensively and his speed is absolutely below NHL average. He has alot of work to do and not admitting his weaknesses isn't going to change that.

Subban was always a poor skater who relied on enormous lower body strength to twist around players in the neutral zone but his stride was extremely clunky and he would often stumble when transitioning into a back skate. It was always a sad site when a forward would pull away from his slow *** after turning the puck over. The Rangers made him look awful against us while McDonagh dominated and showed why he P.K. was so grossly overrated.

I don't know what hockey you watch, but it's not what we see at all

 

[the valiant effort]

That play was insane he had his stick perfectly flat on the ice

Bend it like Hutson

The mark of a beast right here.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The mark of a beast right here.

I’ve never seen anything like that before. That’s a sick move.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I don't know what hockey you watch, but it's not what we see at all

Everything I said is factual and consensus with actual scouts

 

[417]

I’ve never seen anything like that before. That’s a sick move.

Guy Carbonneau used to do that all the time

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Guy Carbonneau used to do that all the time

Yeah but not in full flight…

 

[Gustave]

Guy Carbonneau used to do that all the time

Great reference and yes he did.

Although immobile, but it was special to see a flat Sherwood on the sheet.

And don’t get me started with his “two pad stack” shot block at the point. Guy was a legend, but only for the keen eyed fans

 

[Gustave]

The U.S. team has often underachieved because their athletes are uber privileged and their little all star squads don't have enough players willing to play blue collar roles. They have too many kids who devolve into 1 on 1 hockey when things start turning bad. The USNTDP fosters an elitist environment where the kids get to dunk on inferior competition all year and the U.S. teams tend to shun CHL players who are playing in more traditional team focused games with team success at the forefront rather than personal development.

All that being said, they are deservedly the favourites to win this year.

Well said. Yes, college bros galore culture is alive and well.

That said… WJC US cohort is always weirdly deployed. Whether it’s to break the obvious bro hood around or not, we are seeing weird ass time distribution around certain individuals over others and it’s seems to be very detrimental to team success. I don’t understand them and… I don’t like them on the whole as an entity (US WJC team).

 

[Dick Duff]

Yeah but not in full flight…

I recall Derek Sanderson doing it at full flight

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

I don't know what hockey you watch, but it's not what we see at all

Subban had élite edge work and strong skating mechanics

 

[ryan callahan]

I don't know what people are drinking in here to call Subban anything but a great skater. He juked senseless many player who have dedicated their entire lives to the sport and had elite agility and speed relative to his weight (which allowed him to be a physical player as well)

 

[McGees]

Tbh I always knew Subban would decline hard as his skating did not look effortless like a Karlsson for example. Always looked labored even tho he moved quick in his prime. Great edges for spinoramas etc but not the type of smooth effortless skating that ages well like Coffey, Karlsson, Makar etc…

 

[Ezpz]

Tbh I always knew Subban would decline hard as his skating did not look effortless like a Karlsson for example. Always looked labored even tho he moved quick in his prime. Great edges for spinoramas etc but not the type of smooth effortless skating that ages well like Coffey, Karlsson, Makar etc…

He would still be in the NHL if he hadn't bulked up and broke his back. Injury was the reason for his decline.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

He would still be in the NHL if he hadn't bulked up and broke his back. Injury was the reason for his decline.

It wasn't just his back it was his feet.

He was always a slow north/south skater and could not afford to lose a step. I wasn't the only one who called it either.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

Tbh I always knew Subban would decline hard as his skating did not look effortless like a Karlsson for example. Always looked labored even tho he moved quick in his prime. Great edges for spinoramas etc but not the type of smooth effortless skating that ages well like Coffey, Karlsson, Makar etc…

Sub and weight gain is what became the issue

 

[GHJimmy]

Everything I said is factual and consensus with actual scouts

God those scouts must be unbiased to your view

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

God those scouts must be unbiased to your view

You just continue to trust your eyes and I along with the scouting community will all be wrong lol

 

[bcv]

You just continue to trust your eyes and I along with the scouting community will all be wrong lol

Scouts are wrong like half the time

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Scouts are wrong like half the time

Fans are wrong at a much higher rate and when they are right it is often coincidence. Scouts differ on projections therefore only so many will end up being right. They rarely differ much on judging skating unlike internet posters who don't generally have a clue what they are talking about.

 

[tooji]

Sub and weight gain is what became the issue

His issue was getting a debilitating back injury