Player Discussion Lane Hutson Part 2

[LaP]

We need to make sure Lane plays the right way.

Do you mean the white way?

You might be onto something here.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He went straight from University to the Habs, without a stop in Laval. While others his age were sent down, he wasn't. Being a third-pairing defenseman doesn't mean he's not trusted. Obviously things can and probably will change over the next few years. Fans here seem to want to include him in every trade. I honestly don't think that management feels the same way.

He's probably not here long term, depending on what happens with Arber and Struble. I don't include him in the future but not being one of the top 6 for a team that has been blessed with drafting and developing a lot of good young defenseman doesn't mean Harris is bad, or that he can't do this or that and certainly doesn't make his strengths not strengths.

Harris will have a long NHL career because in a salary cap world, having cheap defenseman who can move the puck, skate it out of trouble, be smart and skate to defend and are great in the room, are always gonna find their way on teams needing cheap and effective depth.

Dallas would have loved to be able to throw Harris on the ice in the playoffs over Nils Lundkvist, for example.

 

[Habs10Habs]

He's probably not here long term, depending on what happens with Arber and Struble. I don't include him in the future but not being one of the top 6 for a team that has been blessed with drafting and developing a lot of good young defenseman doesn't mean Harris is bad, or that he can't do this or that and certainly doesn't make his strengths not strengths.

Harris will have a long NHL career because in a salary cap world, having cheap defenseman who can move the puck, skate it out of trouble, be smart and skate to defend and are great in the room, are always gonna find their way on teams needing cheap and effective depth.

Dallas would have loved to be able to throw Harris on the ice in the playoffs over Nils Lundkvist, for example.

Agreed, unless he somehow changes his game. I can't see Harris being a Montreal lifer.

I couldn't have said it better than the part I bolded.

Harris is pretty much "Vanilla". As I mentioned earlier, unless I'm purposely paying attention to him. I rarely notice him on the ice. He makes the simple plays, while playing within his abilities. Unlike some of our other defenseman. I can't recall a situation where he was sheltered.

 

[LaP]

Harris would be a solid cheap option to complete the defense of a cap stranded team.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Harris would be a solid cheap option to complete the defense of a cap stranded team.

As a goalie, I love having guys on the ice that you know what you are getting. They don't win you games but they don't lose them either. You need those guys to get you through until your studs are back on the ice.

Not every defenseman or forward can be a superstar and I find these guys get massively underappreciated and almost hated for just doing the little things and going back to the bench.

You can say he's not physical. You can say his offense is pedestrian. You can say he's vanilla. But there are things that he is and that's a great person, a smart player, tremendous poise with the puck and a great skater. That's enough for a 3rd pair guy and a lot of teams would love to have that cost effective steady type of guy.

 

[Habs10Habs]

We were the worst team in the league when he came over. On top of that, signing him to a contract and playing him directly in the NHL was one of the reasons he signed with MTL. I believe he could have walked as a UFA with the NCAA loophole (I’m not sure, though).

Even if the second point is wrong, him playing in the NHL straight away is not some feather in his cap. It was simply him negotiating with the Habs to receive a bonus. Good on him for that, but it isn’t a testament to his skills on the ice.

No arguements, we sucked ass. True, but only for the last 10 games when he finished University. His first and second full season, he played strictly for the Habs. That had nothing to do with his contract. Since it was already signed.

No I never said it was. Our debate was you didn't think he was trustworthy. My arguement is that I believe management thought he was. Due to the fact that unlike some of our other young D. He wasn't sent down to Laval, at any time, over the last 2 seasons.

 

[WeThreeKings]

No arguements, we sucked ass. True, but only for the last 10 games when he finished University. His first and second full season, he played strictly for the Habs. That had nothing to do with his contract. Since it was already signed.

No I never said it was. Our debate was you didn't think he was trustworthy. My arguement is that I believe management thought he was. Due to the fact that unlike some of our other young D. He wasn't sent down to Laval, at any time, over the last 2 seasons.

And despite playing a 4-7th D rotation in those two years, on a terrible rebuilding team, meaning he very rarely saw the ice with the top line, his stats and advanced stats all grade out pretty good for his role and what type of team he was on.

He's trusted, he's liked and he does exactly what his coaches would expect from him in that role. There's not really a fault to find with the guy unless you're expecting more from a 3rd pairing defenseman, in which case I always invite people to look around the league and see what a 3rd pairing defenseman looks like. There aren't a bunch of Slavvins just chilling out.

 

[Habs10Habs]

And despite playing a 4-7th D rotation in those two years, on a terrible rebuilding team, meaning he very rarely saw the ice with the top line, his stats and advanced stats all grade out pretty good for his role and what type of team he was on.

He's trusted, he's liked and he does exactly what his coaches would expect from him in that role. There's not really a fault to find with the guy unless you're expecting more from a 3rd pairing defenseman, in which case I always invite people to look around the league and see what a 3rd pairing defenseman looks like. There aren't a bunch of Slavvins just chilling out.

You're on fire today lol

Instead of wasting everyone's time with my responses. I should just follow you and say "Hmmmm yeah, what he said" Great post.

 

[WeThreeKings]

We also sucked in the past two seasons. I really wouldn’t call a 24-year-old playing on the third pairing as someone management/coaching trusts. We’re a terrible team with a dearth of talent and we were testing the waters with all our defensemen. The only young defenseman that you can say for sure has gained management’s trust is Guhle.

He’s the oldest of all our young d-men and also the one who’s showing the least improvement. Anyhow, it’s clear this debate is leading nowhere.

I’ll end it by asking one simple question to WeThreeKings: If Harris is such an affordable and efficient player to have in your third pairing, why do you not see a future for him in Montreal? Is it because players like him are a dime-a-dozen? Is it because he’s easily replaceable? Is it because he doesn’t project on a playoff-contending team?

I don't see a future for him because we have so much talent on the left side of the defense. Guhle, Hutson and Xhekaj all have an inside track on him because of what they can provide that he can't, and then you have Engstrom and Struble in the mix with Matheson still around.

Most teams don't have that depth or luxury so naturally someone like Harris who does a lot of things well, will have his spot taken when presented with an internal option that provides something that others the team don't.

Doesn't make him ineffective. It doesn't make him bad. It doesn't make him not trusted. He's just expendable long term here but as mentioned before, looking at contending teams who are cap stretched and an unreliable bottom pair would absolutely love to have Harris. He will have a long NHL career, it just won't be here.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Guhle -Reinbacher
Hutson - Struble
Xhekaj - Mailloux

I could see that being really good pairings.

I don't think Struble has the puck skills necessary to play on the right side. Would be a waste of Hutson's talent to have a guy with him that would likely be resorting to glass plays on the breakout.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Fair points. My prediction is that he’ll have a hard time staying in the NHL once he’s done with the Habs.

My point about trust was simply to say that he hasn’t set himself apart from the rest of the pack in the three seasons he’s been here. They don’t trust him as more than a third-pairing defenseman, is what I said. That’s exactly the reason why you deem him expendable.

Either way, we’ll see in the future if I’m wrong. I don’t hold much weight to my opinions and I’m just a fan.

I'd say again to look around the NHL and see what is on third pairs. A lot of teams could use him already.

He's trusted as a third pair defenseman and if you were saying trusted more than that, I apologize for not picking up on that differentiation earlier.

For me, if we weren't stacked at LD and we had Harris as our 3rd pair LD. I wouldn't view that as something we needed to upgrade to contend. We are just lucky that we can put a physical beast like Arber in that role.

Edit: also appreciate a good healthy discussion which stayed hockey focused. Cheers!

 

[Vachon23]

I’m thinking more on the defensive side. Guhle helps Mailloux and RB helps Hutson.

I understand your view, personally though I want to have a defensive pair that I can use against every other teams best lines that can shut them out, especially in the playoffs.

That’s why I want Guhle-Reinbacher as a pair that will eat a lot of minutes.

 

[Rapala]

He went straight from University to the Habs, without a stop in Laval. While others his age were sent down, he wasn't. Being a third-pairing defenseman doesn't mean he's not trusted. Obviously things can and probably will change over the next few years. Fans here seem to want to include him in every trade. I honestly don't think that management feels the same way.

True however we are looking at completely different scenarios the expectations between the two are not even in the same stratosphere.
The only arguments surrounding Hutson swirl around his best developmental path for 24/25.
I could just as easily see him starting in Laval getting top everything paired with Reinbacher.
Hutson is so good offensively we could also use him with Mailloux on PP1 and still be be ahead of the game.

The Hab players who have the best one timers are going to benefit hugely in the not to distant future.
Slaf and Suzuki showed much improved one timers and hopefully Caufield gets his space and timing back.
I'd also really love Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj to develop a good one timer as well.
I know if I was any of these bolded guys I'd be putting in extra time working on that shot selection.
No brainer with Demidov coming soon and already having Suzuki Dach and Slaf as feeders.
It's going to be fun finally having players we can work on set plays around.

 

[Paddy17]

I believe his defensive game is unconventional but also extremely underrated.

He is undersized and can get overpowered, its true.

On the other end, he is extremely efficient at breaking plays, cutting lane, puck retrieving and transition.

Too much focus is on the former and not enough on the latter.

NHL coaches may target him as much as they want. I think Hutson on the ice is a problem for the opposition and not the team icing him. It is what he displayed so far in his careee, constantly, at every level of competition.

If he can do what Markov did, which is anticipate and cut passes or close the gap in center ice even before the puck gets to the defensive zone, then he'll have a lot less to do in the D zone and in corners. Smart positional play, good stick work, and anticipation can make for very effective defending. Those that need the physical aspect to be effective D's are the ones with less IQ. Of course, if you have both, then you're a defensive stud.

 

[Favster]

Do you mean the white way?

I saw that live on TV when it happened and I couldn't believe it LOL. That was tough.

 

[LaP]

I’ll end it by asking one simple question to WeThreeKings: If Harris is such an affordable and efficient player to have in your third pairing, why do you not see a future for him in Montreal? Is it because players like him are a dime-a-dozen? Is it because he’s easily replaceable? Is it because he doesn’t project on a playoff-contending team?

Because by the time we are ready to win he'll be UFA and be paid too much. Harris is interesting because he is paid 1.4 millions and is RFA. When he'll get paid 3 millions something he'll be a lot less interesting unless he improves his offense a bit. But atm for 1.4 millions he is an interesting player to have as depth. Young enough to maybe still have another gear and reliable enough and cheap enough to be a good option on a 3rd pairing.

 

[admiralcadillac]

You might be onto something here.

LOL

I saw that live on TV when it happened and I couldn't believe it LOL. That was tough.

Freudian slip par excellence

 

[LaP]

He’ll likely never sniff close to 3 million per year, and you’re jumping the gun to find excuses for why he doesn’t fit the timeline. The real reason is that he’s mediocre, at best, and all of you realize that we would be better off paying our other young guys instead of him.

Take the time and check some of the contract to depth dmen at the NHL level. Lot of them are paid 3 millions and some of them not really better than Harris. If he can keep being vanilla steady he'll get there eventually.

 

[montreal]

Harris at 22 and 23 years old has been putting up a .26 ppg that over 82 games would be 21 pts, he looked like he regressed to me but that doesn't he won't bounce back as for whatever reason from time to time we see players struggle in their 2nd full season after a pretty solid rookie year from him.

I don't know if his frame could handle it but if he can get closer to 200 lbs that might help him a lot, plus improved strength as he looks easy to push around out there.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

When have you ever seen Harris make a mistake under pressure? Harris is as smart and poised as they come.. that doesn't mean the upside is anything near Hutson, but people underrate Harris' traits.

Harris will be a perfect 5/6 for any team if not the Habs.

 

[HuGort]

Hutson is electric offensive dynamo. I see him as future first pairing one day.

 

[Tyson]

Hutson is electric offensive dynamo. I see him as future first pairing one day.

Hockey Junkie put out a video that showed a pic of Lane's legs...he is built like a tank!

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

If I'm HuGo I'm writing Barb a blank cheque to get Hutson's skating technique as efficient as possible, because he could very well be a 1st pairing guy

 

[JianYang]

Hutson - Savard will be a perfect 2nd pair.

Hutson will be so fun to watch this year, I'm confident that he can put good numbers. Maybe in the range of 5-6 goals and 40-45 assists.

If it's more, that's a huge bonus.

Can't wait to see this gem in 82 games with Habs.

Most players don't play 82 games, but hopefully hutson can remain relatively healthy wherever he ends up playing.

It's a movie we have seen so many times over the past few years, that you get jaded into thinking that key guys are going to miss tons of time.

 

[Tyson]

If I'm HuGo I'm writing Barb a blank cheque to get Hutson's skating technique as efficient as possible, because he could very well be a 1st pairing guy

The 2 games I saw last season against a team fighting for their playoff lives I didn't see weak skating whatsoever and it will improve