Player Discussion Lane Hutson Part 2

[Adam Michaels]

How many small players can you afford to have in a 7 game series against a very big team like Vegas?

On D:

- Guhle: 6'2" and 205 lbs
- Xhekaj: 6'4" and 238 lbs
- Reinbacher: 6'2" and 194 lbs
- Struble: 6' and 194 lbs
- Mailloux: 6'3" and 212 lbs

I think they'll be fine havjng one D at Hutson's size, who will be their most skilled one on top of that.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

If Hutson doesn't become the PP qb, I think Mailloux would do well in that spot. I like what he is doing in Laval on the PP. He's got a good shot and distributes the puck decently. He doesn't have the agility of a Hutson, but I like his shot much better and think he is a less dangerous guy to have at the top of the umbrella to prevent turnovers.

 

[LesHabitants]

On D:

- Guhle: 6'2" and 205 lbs
- Xhekaj: 6'4" and 238 lbs
- Reinbacher: 6'2" and 194 lbs
- Struble: 6' and 194 lbs
- Mailloux: 6'3" and 212 lbs

I think they'll be fine havjng one D at Hutson's size, who will be their most skilled one on top of that.

Hutson is still growing. He might end up Guhle's size.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Hutson is still growing. He might end up Guhle's size.

Hutson is aiming to look down on Xhekaj.

 

[Miller Time]

Early in the season I just assumed that he would naturally want the chance to play with both his brothers and that he clearly being so light and having some issues yet might figure the best thing would be one more year. He's not eligible for the "loophole" that Rhett Pitlick is where you can become a UFA in July after your 3rd year in the NCAA (because they didn't go directly to the NCAA after being drafted) but it would then put him a year away from being a UFA which his agent will know that just about every NHL team would be interesting to signing him for free.

So signing him in April makes a lot of sense but I worry they rush him as they appear to do so with more ease then I would like to see after years of MB rushing kids left and right. It's hard to say if the Habs would even consider this since they talked about Michkov and not being able to control his development though that was for 3 years so a different situation since it would be I assume just for a year but I do think it would help him with his skating while helping him learn a more pro game and giving him time to physically mature a bit longer while not under the spotlight.

Fair, though I think your skepticism about their approach to integrating young players is skewed by the MB PTSD...

Looking at how they've worked with Slaf, Roy, Guhle, Strubble, Xhekaj, Harris, Barron, and even Dach/Newhook, gives me confidence they are mindful & intentional in working with young players.
It will be interesting to see how they navigate bringing Hutson along, but I'm optimistic it will be done with his input and ultimately buy-in.

 

[CAUFIELD]

Landing Demidov and Hutson reaching his potential could really change fast the direction of our team .

 

[jfm133]

Caufield comparison is pointless. Hutson is D, not a winger. What is so hard to understand about that?

Also, Spurgeon the only valid comparison is a much better skater. The only chance for Hutson is to take time to mature and get as strong as possible, but still then, he won't be a complete D.

Guess where he can adapt to the NHL game? I give you 3 guesses.



Thing about Hutson is that he will always be pint sized. Same as Caufield, these players have been the smallest at whatever level they played. They know how to work with their size.

As for his skating, he can continue to work on that in the pros.

 

[jfm133]

Some skinny guy just cannot add weight. A few weeks ago I gave the example of Aleksi Heponiemi. He is now 25, went to Swiss league this year, and he is stuck at 155 lbs. Very talented, but to light and it's a forward. Imagine a D.

How hard is it to stack an extra 10-15 lbs of muscle especially at his age?

At 18 years old, I was 6'2 and weighed a whopping 140 LOL. I was a twig but over the next year I gained 60 pounds just through sheer diet alone.

Alot of it was fat of course I would eat anything to get those calories in me....but still I figure if lane eats 3000-4000 calories through healthy foods like eggs, steaks, potatoes etc and keeps training like an animal, surely he could hit 180 lbs no?

I know they shed a lot of weight when they play but still

 

[Tyson]

Q4

That is an antiquated question to ask. Marchessault created more room in the playoffs last year than any large player. Skill matters more than size.

You can have a small player like Caufield, my question is how many small players can a team have if they plan on winning 4 rounds of play off hockey? Marchessault was surrounded by the biggest playoff team...he had space.

On D:

- Guhle: 6'2" and 205 lbs
- Xhekaj: 6'4" and 238 lbs
- Reinbacher: 6'2" and 194 lbs
- Struble: 6' and 194 lbs
- Mailloux: 6'3" and 212 lbs

I think they'll be fine havjng one D at Hutson's size, who will be their most skilled one on top of that.

How many small players includes forwards.

 

[CauZuki]

Q4

You can have a small player like Caufield, my question is how many small players can a team have if they plan on winning 4 rounds of play off hockey? Marchessault was surrounded by the biggest playoff team...he had space.


How many small players includes forwards.

Dach / Slaf certainly aren't small, Suzuki isn't huge but he's very strong on his feet and hard to push off the puck. That's half our future top 6 right there , I don't see a size issue.

 

[Habs4Life]

The moves he pulls wont work in the NHL.

 

[Adam Michaels]

How many small players includes forwards.

But we're talking about Hutson, and he will be part of a D corps that has size.

Caufield comparison is pointless. Hutson is D, not a winger. What is so hard to understand about that?

Also, Spurgeon the only valid comparison is a much better skater. The only chance for Hutson is to take time to mature and get as strong as possible, but still then, he won't be a complete D.

The point remains, under sized guys who always played with bigger players and learned to find ways to be effective.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

So he’s back to being 5’9?

What happened to all that “He’s grown to 5’10 or 5’11 ” talk?

He's 5'10. There was a lot of back and forth on this and it was confirmed a while ago. He's not the tallest blueliner but 5'10 isn't a big deal. What he really needs to do is pack on weight.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The moves he pulls wont work in the NHL.

This can be said for a lot of players though. I don't think we'll see the rover style he has in the NHL but he's still highly skilled. And he's smart too, he'll adjust.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Caufield comparison is pointless. Hutson is D, not a winger. What is so hard to understand about that?

The comparison between Hutson and Caufield is valid. Playing a different position doesn't change the fact that people had Caufield as a long shot of becoming a good nhl player due to his lack of size.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Dach / Slaf certainly aren't small, Suzuki isn't huge but he's very strong on his feet and hard to push off the puck. That's half our future top 6 right there , I don't see a size issue.

You named 2 big forwards and one who is under 6'0" tall and declared that we do not have a size issue? There are still 9 other forwards who will comprise just under 80% of the forward ice time and that does need to be recognized and addressed.

There is no doubt that Caufield needs to be sheltered a little more on the 2nd line as he is a turnover machine this season and almost all of our forward prospects are mid to smaller sized wingers. Outside of Heineman, F.Xhekaj and Tuch there isn't much size to speak of and none of those three are a lock at this point in time to even be good NHLers.

Hutson will be ok if the rest of the blueline remains big as it appears it will but he will absolutely need to make significant gains in his skating as well as gaining some mass so that he will be able to absorb some contact without ending up on his butt. He will likely get some games in at the end of the season and I fully expect to see moments of brilliance as well as moments of him being overwhelmed by his disadvantages. Hutson should work his tail off this summer to improve on all of his physical limitations and should start the season with Laval where he can work on adjusting his game to dealing with pro forecheckers and taking contact from bigger, stronger and more aggressive opponents.

The size issue is a real issue and I would bet my house that Hughes is focused on trying to find a way to turn his plethora of draft picks and mid/smaller sized players along with the overflow of D prospects into a couple of talented younger forwards who bring some size to the table.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

The comparison between Hutson and Caufield is valid. Playing a different position doesn't change the fact that people had Caufield as a long shot of becoming a good nhl player due to his lack of size.

I disagree and the evidence is in where they were drafted and where they were ranked even before they were drafted. Size is also far more important on D than it is on the wing.

There is a reason that there is a long list of tiny forwards to have been successful in the NHL and the list of Dmen with Hutson's height/weight metrics is virtually non existent. He is 5'9" and just over 160 lbs and is considerably skinnier and weaker than Caufield.

Hutson has great hands and a great hockey mind but is betrayed by some terrible physical traits that he will need to continue to find a way to overcome. I am not saying that he can't do it and I am not saying that he is a lock to do it. Let's just see how this plays out because the truth is that nobody confidently knows the answer. I am confident in saying that it is going to be incredibly interesting with polarizing highs and lows which will be reflected in fans opinions as well. Just try and stay somewhere in the middle and let the evidence decide where our opinions should migrate from there because the most important evidence has yet to be revealed.

 

[themilosh]

You named 2 big forwards and one who is under 6'0" tall and declared that we do not have a size issue? There are still 9 other forwards who will comprise just under 80% of the forward ice time and that does need to be recognized and addressed.

There is no doubt that Caufield needs to be sheltered a little more on the 2nd line as he is a turnover machine this season and almost all of our forward prospects are mid to smaller sized wingers. Outside of Heineman, F.Xhekaj and Tuch there isn't much size to speak of and none of those three are a lock at this point in time to even be good NHLers.

Hutson will be ok if the rest of the blueline remains big as it appears it will but he will absolutely need to make significant gains in his skating as well as gaining some mass so that he will be able to absorb some contact without ending up on his butt. He will likely get some games in at the end of the season and I fully expect to see moments of brilliance as well as moments of him being overwhelmed by his disadvantages. Hutson should work his tail off this summer to improve on all of his physical limitations and should start the season with Laval where he can work on adjusting his game to dealing with pro forecheckers and taking contact from bigger, stronger and more aggressive opponents.

The size issue is a real issue and I would bet my house that Hughes is focused on trying to find a way to turn his plethora of draft picks and mid/smaller sized players along with the overflow of D prospects into a couple of talented younger forwards who bring some size to the table.

I keep echoing the same sentiment.. we need size, badly. Look no further than the Coyotes to see what relying on small scorers does; keller, cooley, etc... it is a massive handcuff in the NHL, you'd think the Habs will have learned their lesson over the past 30 years - small size players do NOT work in the playoffs.
Exactly why i would have tried trading CC to the NYR for Laff when we had a chance, but that ship has sailed.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I believe he’s at 162 lbs right now. That’s pretty light. Hopefully he can get close to 170lbs over the summer.

I'm pretty sure he can get to 170-172 by Fall. My issue is his backwards skating, it needs massive work. Hopefully we have a strong development team and he has the ability to learn.

 

[BaseballCoach]

That is an antiquated question to ask. Marchessault created more room in the playoffs last year than any large player. Skill matters more than size.

Small but skilled forwards who are also feisty and not afraid of traffic can do well in playoffs.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I keep echoing the same sentiment.. we need size, badly. Look no further than the Coyotes to see what relying on small scorers does; keller, cooley, etc... it is a massive handcuff in the NHL, you'd think the Habs will have learned their lesson over the past 30 years - small size players do NOT work in the playoffs.
Exactly why i would have tried trading CC to the NYR for Laff when we had a chance, but that ship has sailed.

Slaf, Dach, RB, Guehle, Mailloux, x, Struble… Roy has decent size, Suzuki is strong. We’re okay for size going forward. Not the biggest team but not the smallest either

 

[Habs]

If he allows us to move up in the draft, I trade him if there was a way to move to #2 or 3

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I keep echoing the same sentiment.. we need size, badly. Look no further than the Coyotes to see what relying on small scorers does; keller, cooley, etc... it is a massive handcuff in the NHL, you'd think the Habs will have learned their lesson over the past 30 years - small size players do NOT work in the playoffs.
Exactly why i would have tried trading CC to the NYR for Laff when we had a chance, but that ship has sailed.

While I certainly agree that small rosters do not work in the playoffs there are plenty of small players who have been great such as Marchessault, Marchand, MSL, Fleury, Point, Broten, Propp, Verbeek, Ciccarelli, etc. The issue is having too many of them as they need bigger players to create space for them.

I am not at all against trading Caufield in a vacuum as I do think he requires sheltering and that is certainly not optimal. There are factors that also need to be considered as I think he is a uniquely positive influence in the dressing room and may be very valuable during dark stretches and high pressure moments. We also need to consider that he is far from a finished product and he is already a thick kid who likely will become significantly stronger. I do not see having all 3 of Caufield, Farrell and Mesar as a winning formula and I am certain that at least one if not two of them will not be around for the long term. Cole has woven his personality into the fabric of the young core that we hope to lead us to the cup and I would be surprised to see him moved especially because his contract will likely look like a steal in the last few years.

I do agree with much of your logic on the matter, I just think that some of the specifics warrant a little more attention and one must always be wary of creating archetypes based on absolutes.

I'm pretty sure he can get to 170-172 by Fall. My issue is his backwards skting, it needs massive work. Hopefully we have a strong development team and he has the ability to learn.

Agreed on the skating but it should also be pointed out that he put almost zero weight on from his D+1 to D+2 season. Perhaps he will acknowledge the urgency in doing so when he gets a dose of professional hockey.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I keep echoing the same sentiment.. we need size, badly. Look no further than the Coyotes to see what relying on small scorers does; keller, cooley, etc... it is a massive handcuff in the NHL, you'd think the Habs will have learned their lesson over the past 30 years - small size players do NOT work in the playoffs.
Exactly why i would have tried trading CC to the NYR for Laff when we had a chance, but that ship has sailed.

Yep. One thing is for sure, the Habs would never make the cup finals with Caufield in their top 6, and they certainly wouldn't beat big heavy teams like Winnipeg and Vegas en route to that cup finals.

 

[26Mats]

Yep. One thing is for sure, the Habs would never make the cup finals with Caufield in their top 6, and they certainly wouldn't beat big heavy teams like Winnipeg and Vegas en route to that cup finals.

I like that, although Caufield hasn't been scoring that much recently, yet still over the last 24 or something games he's been exactly, or almost exactly, point per game. They showed the exact numbers on rds. This shows he has other aspects to his game than just scoring. (Though some fans miss that). And these other aspects include his lockerroom presence and how he is as a teammate.