Player Discussion Lane Hutson Part 2

[Goalfield13]

He played at least 75% of the regular season in all those years

Edit* He actually played 74.4% in 2017/18 so I'm sorry.

Regardless of the amount of games played, if the best example of a small D "working" is freaking Spurgeon, that's pretty sad.

 

[Canadiens98]

Regardless of the amount of games played, if the best example of a small D "working" is freaking Spurgeon, that's pretty sad.

Listen every player is different. It's possible his body won't be able to handle the NHL game, but it's also possible it will. Time will tell. There's a reason he almost fell to the 3rd round.


I'm going to trust the organization to make the right decision because they're the ones who get to see and work with him.

 

[Redux91]

Until then, I will voice my displeasure with the decision just like you can voice your optimism. If it works out, we can rejoice together.

Ehh,
'When' it happens, you can rejoice on your own thanks lol

There's something about celebrating something with someone who was against you or doubted you just.. doesn't feel right lol

Yes, 'we all benefit' as fans of a team comes into play sure.. but, don't put your arm around my shoulders basically lol

 

[Goalfield13]

Ehh,
'When' it happens, you can rejoice on your own thanks lol

There's something about celebrating something with someone who was against you or doubted you just.. doesn't feel right lol

Yes, 'we all benefit' as fans of a team comes into play sure.. but, don't put your arm around my shoulders basically lol

Oh noes, someone doesn't fully agree with me! I will hate them forever! Man, you can't voice displeasure with a 160 lb D playing in the AHL around here. LOL! I don't hate the player. I hope he makes it. I am not like the Slaf doubters. I acknowledge Hutson's skills. I would just rather he not make the jump just yet. Relax, y'all.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Regardless of the amount of games played, if the best example of a small D "working" is freaking Spurgeon, that's pretty sad.

So you ask for Spurgeon's games played, I and @Canadiens98 point it out to you. And then you say regardless of that, Spurgeon is a bad example.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Regardless of the amount of games played, if the best example of a small D "working" is freaking Spurgeon, that's pretty sad.

Krug, Girard, Barrie, Q. Hughes, Goligoski. Just of active NHL D.

I'm also not sure what the point of these complaints are. Everyone knew size would be the question mark and if he makes it it will be because of his elite talent and in spite of his size. He didn't go in the first round for a season. He's done nothing since the draft but play at a level above most of his peers.

Like, is the complaint Montreal took Hutson instead of Odelius or Pettersson?

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Regardless of the amount of games played, if the best example of a small D "working" is freaking Spurgeon, that's pretty sad.

A better more recent example would be Samuel Girard who played in the NHL as a 5'10" 162 lb 19 year old and he's already close to 500 career games as a 25 year old.

Hutson is already apparently around that size and will likely gain some weight before next season - he will be fine.

 

[jfm133]

How many teams won a cup with a D under 5'10 and 170 lbs? None. Don't tell me Colorado, Samuel Girard got hurt in the playoffs that year. The key point here is that Hutson would be the smallest D in the NHL right now. If you look at his brother Quinn, 5'11 and 170 lbs, that is two years older. Lane is likely at physical maturity. He won't get taller or much heavier. Some player are unable to add weight, like some cannot get faster. It's genetic. So again, 5'09 and 160 lbs is just not enough for a D. And yes, being a defensman, not a wigner is very important, and a big partner will not allow Hutson to be effective. And Hutson is not fast, that usually is they way smaller D can compensate their physical defecit. Also, it's not like Hutson would easily dislodge Guhle, Struble or Matheson on the left side. Again, I see a trajectory similar to Farrell if Hughes go ahead and sign him. He will play a few games then it will be Laval and we will see from there. But in Laval he will clearly be a target for opposing teams. If you think they will let him do his things peacfully you are dreaming.

 

[FerrisRox]

Him staying in the NCAA is going to give him time to work on other things than offense. Players in junior do this all the time. He can work on getting bigger and improving his skating. Why are we rushing him?

This is a weird take, because I don't think he's being rushed at all, and I would be much more concerned about the negative impact another season of NCAA would have on his development as opposed to him turning professional.

He has nothing left to prove at the College level and he needs to face bigger, faster, stronger more talented opponents in order for his development to continue.

He can work on getting bigger? Really? You don't think that's already on his To Do List? You don't think he can do that in the AHL or the NHL?

 

[Rapala]

Oh noes, someone doesn't fully agree with me! I will hate them forever! Man, you can't voice displeasure with a 160 lb D playing in the AHL around here. LOL! I don't hate the player. I hope he makes it. I am not like the Slaf doubters. I acknowledge Hutson's skills. I would just rather he not make the jump just yet. Relax, y'all.

I'm fairly certain Hutson will end up where he deserves to end up. He'll get a game or two and they will go from there.
My thinking is simple we are STACKED on LD and we need more time to evaluate what we do have and where we go with it.
Keeping Lane in Laval affords us some of that time.

 

[jfm133]

Krug is 30 pounds heavier. Quinn Hughes much faster. Who wants a Barrie or a Goligoski?

Krug, Girard, Barrie, Q. Hughes, Goligoski. Just of active NHL D.

I'm also not sure what the point of these complaints are. Everyone knew size would be the question mark and if he makes it it will be because of his elite talent and in spite of his size. He didn't go in the first round for a season. He's done nothing since the draft but play at a level above most of his peers.

Like, is the complaint Montreal took Hutson instead of Odelius or Pettersson?

 

[Gillings]

Can we wait to see how he plays in the NHL?

You never know someone’s true potential until they are in the spotlight.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'm fairly certain Hutson will end up where he deserves to end up. He'll get a game or two and they will go from there.
My thinking is simple we are STACKED on LD and we need more time to evaluate what we do have and where we go with it.
Keeping Lane in Laval affords us some of that time.

I would expect Lane to be in Laval next year unless he bulks up a lot over the summer and is just too good in camp.

We can be concerned somewhat whether he's coming out of the NCAA too early, it's a debate that has points on both sides.. but one thing we don't have to be concerned about is this being a Mete situation.

Matheson is running the PP and while it may not be the best PP QBing in the world, the PP has really been effective for a large portion of the year since Slaf has broken out and Newhook has been healthy. So there won't be a need to bring Hutson along to fill that void.

Our left side is also crowded so there isn't a logical opening for him to just take. He would have to force out Matheson, Xhekaj, Struble, Harris and Guhle all next year and also be better than Trudeau and Engstrom from Laval.

He will get his NHL games this year to burn a year of the ELC - Farrell did too but he hasn't played a NHL game this year. So it's not like they've set a precedent where once you play a NHL game you have to keep playing there.

 

[FerrisRox]

How many teams won a cup with a D under 5'10 and 170 lbs? None.

This is hilariously disegneious.

First of all, you are making the blanket assumption that when Hutson settles into the Canadiens blue line, he will be under 5'10 and he will weigh less than 170 pounds.

You've simply fabricated this benchmark number completely out of thin air. And then, after making this up, you announce that nobody has ever been below your imaginary benchmark.

What the hell is the point of that? Do you really think there's going to be an every day NHL defenseman who weighs less than 170 pounds?

This is just a dumb, dumb take. What's the point of even saying this?

 

[JT3]

Playwise, he's outgrown the NCAA, so it's time to move up a level and adapt. He's already shown in the Men's World Championship that he can play against men fine. Obviously the NHL is another level, but we can't answer any questions until we actually see him there. There's no sense in continuing to play in a league that will be below him next season just to bulk up when he can continue to do that in the AHL or NHL with better facilities, coaches, trainers and nutrition available to him.

And honestly, all the concern is largely moot in my opinion because he was a late 2nd round pick. We swung for the fences on skill. If he makes it and has a legit impact, great. We can surround him with the size that makes up the rest of our young D. If he can't translate and really is too small, who cares? Trade him or let him go, but it was a late 2nd round swing, it's not like it's massive asset value wasted as though he was a top 10 pick. And if his size is really such an issue that he won't translate as some people seem to suggest, then we probably won't get much value for him anyways. May as well just let it play out.

 

[jfm133]

The reality is that Hutson is not a small D, he would be the smallest D in the league. So turn it the way you want, that's the reality. Lane is now 20. He won't grow anymore, and he looks like a skinny guy that has a very hard time adding weight. Like it or not, some person are genetically unable to add weight.

This is hilariously disegneious.

First of all, you are making the blanket assumption that when Hutson settles into the Canadiens blue line, he will be under 5'10 and he will weigh less than 170 pounds.

You've simply fabricated this benchmark number completely out of thin air. And then, after making this up, you announce that nobody has ever been below your imaginary benchmark.

What the hell is the point of that? Do you really think there's going to be an every day NHL defenseman who weighs less than 170 pounds?

This is just a dumb, dumb take. What's the point of even saying this?

 

[Rapala]

I am mass obsessed as opposed to being height obsessed.

The Avs did fine with Bowen Byram during that run he is currently listed at 6'1" and 190lbs.
I doubt he was more than 180lbs185lbs that year which is kind of frail for that frame.

 

[Goalfield13]

Krug, Girard, Barrie, Q. Hughes, Goligoski. Just of active NHL D.

I'm also not sure what the point of these complaints are. Everyone knew size would be the question mark and if he makes it it will be because of his elite talent and in spite of his size. He didn't go in the first round for a season. He's done nothing since the draft but play at a level above most of his peers.

Like, is the complaint Montreal took Hutson instead of Odelius or Pettersson?

No! My only issue is that he is going to the AHL/NHL too soon while being undersized with skating issues. I don't question that he will be an NHL player at some point. Geez. If I didn't like the player, I wouldn't care. People are just being super sensitive to any criticism here.

 

[Redux91]

Man, you can't voice displeasure with a 160 lb D playing in the AHL around here. LOL! I don't hate the player. I hope he makes it.

Lol no but see that's the thing
You're not complaining about a 160 lb D playing the AHL

You're complaining about the 'thought' of a 160lb D playing in the AHL..

*If* he was playing in the AHL currently and had 20 pts in 18 games, well you wouldn't be complaining right?, obviously

But if he was playing in the AHL and had 4 pts in 20 games and looked outmatched everytime he's on the ice
*Then* I would expect people voicing their displeasure with a 160 lb D playing in the AHL

Do you see the difference?

 

[Captain Mountain]

No! My only issue is that he is going to the AHL/NHL too soon while being undersized with skating issues. I don't question that he will be an NHL player at some point. Geez. If I didn't like the player, I wouldn't care. People are just being super sensitive to any criticism here.

Oh. Based on what I can tell from my viewings and whats been reported, the skating issues are pretty overstated. At least not when compared to someone like Caufield. Personally, I'm not sure there's much for him to develop in college and having him acclimate to a professional environment with access to Montreal's development staff seems like good trade off.

 

[Walksss]

Honestly Mr. Michaels, like Slaf, for 20-30% of the fan base, the only way to believe it will be when Hutson is playing for the habs and in the playoffs. Even if he succeeds in the AHL they will say its just the AHL.

Nevermind that at EVERY level, Hutson has played 28-30 mins per game, including the World Juniors were the transformed his game completely.

Let's keep in mind that there are very vocal posters on this board that have nothing but awful takes on Matheson, who is a 60 point NHL D, something that Hutson may never be. The same people had awful takes on Petry before him among many other ridiculous opinions around here.

Ultimately unless you are Norris calibre both offensively and defensively you are open to some unreal criticism, our boy Lane just better not listen to the garbage. Even if Hutson becomes a producer offensively at the NHL level it will not eliminate arrogant posters with awful takes, that part is with us forever.

 

[jfm133]

Petry and Matheson bloomed offensively at almost 30. Hutson just turned 20. Defensman is a hard position to master.

 

[themilosh]

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.

CC wasnt a staple in the top 6 when we lucked our way into the playoffs during covid. Then we hit lightning in a bottle after gm5 in toronto..
We made the final with our size coming from incredible 3rd line duties from Perry/Armia/++..
But lets not pretend, we had any right to beat Toronto down 3-1

 

[themilosh]

Im so glad we didnt trade CC for Laf lol

And to your point about small sized players not working in the playoffs... how tall was the latest CS winner?

On D? Eh maybe, maybe not. Its not like theres tons of 5'9 defensemen around the league from which we could glean valuable insights. And Its not like Montreal would be icing 6 Hutson's.

If he makes it, its because he's supremely talented. Ill welcome one such tiny player on my D anyday in place of a Chiarot

The issue for me is purely physics/science. How can having a 5'9" (if that) 160lb peewee boy body playing Defense in the NHL be considered valuable? Sure he's gifted, sure he can add zest to a PP, but then at that point he is basically a Forward disguised as a D.

Bc we arent oohing and ahhing about his Defense, all his highlight reels are offensive. Ive yet to see anything defensively that makes him feared?

He's no different than if we made CC play Defense or debrincat, etc.... hell why not atp?

 

[Andy]

Very generalized statement from me, but I feel like the people doubting Hutson would be the same exact same folk blaming Bobrov and HuGo for not drafting him.