Prospect Info: Lane Hutson Part 2

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Nedved

Registered User
Mar 30, 2008
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In the modern NHL staking backwards doesn't work all the time. The younger generations of players are being taught how to come in from angles from the front and lateral sides and are trying to minimize always skating backwards. Some of the forwards are just too fast.

He can drop back to the red or opposite blue line on his off side (puck on other side of zone with opponent controlling the puck) and then skate forward in, angling the player the direction he wants to take them. The left and ring wing lock systems in hockey have been used for decades and have the forwards and D all doing this in unison.

Hutson is very good laterally and his edge work is top tier. He is the exact modern day type of player who can find success with practice and development. With his size he will never be a physical force. That is why we drafted and signed several other D that are. He is sneaky good at striping pucks away from players for his size and he generates enough offense to make the minor defensive issues a non-issue.

He did this from the age 13, all the way up and through the USNTDP, then in NCAA verse older players, and has done the same in several national tournaments for the USA, including the one with full grown NHL/EU players (WC). If he was going to fall flat on his face I think it would have already happened by now.

He is smart and a fast learner. His USA teammates in the NHL as well as his USA/NHL level coach have said the same. The thing they spoke of the most was his ability to create and pull off moves that leave NHL players gasping. This is a great sign. These people play and coach all the best players in the world.

Absolutely. It's just sometimes when I watch him he gets caught flat footed when skating backwards. His other areas of skating like you mention, also including his conditioning, are fantastic. That said, he'll get exposed if he doesn't keep working on skating backwards, it's too important, and he has, and he's improved a lot. It's just clearly a weakness. He reminds me of Mike Green.

Anyways, I agree with you, he's my favourite prospect, but I think he has a long way to go before he's penciled in as a top 4 dman but he's 100% on track to do it.
 

danisonfire

2313 Saint Catherine
Jul 2, 2009
1,618
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Absolutely. It's just sometimes when I watch him he gets caught flat footed when skating backwards. His other areas of skating like you mention, also including his conditioning, are fantastic. That said, he'll get exposed if he doesn't keep working on skating backwards, it's too important, and he has, and he's improved a lot. It's just clearly a weakness. He reminds me of Mike Green.

Anyways, I agree with you, he's my favourite prospect, but I think he has a long way to go before he's penciled in as a top 4 dman but he's 100% on track to do it.
He will absolutely have those moments where he gets exposed due to getting caught flat footed. He just will out produce them like he did in the WC. The weakness can also be covered with several systems the team can utilize.

You can't afford to have every D on your team be Hutson. You need one though and we haven't had a real one since Markov. This kid barring something major (negative) will become that player and already is becoming that guy.

If the size was going to be a massive issue against men he would have never had the level of success in his first year of NCAA or at the WC. He would have hit a brick wall like the majority of players that are talented and can't handle the larger stronger players. The WC specifically, if you were a massive liability and getting explosed every shift, you would hardly see the ice.

People may remember Markov as a defensive magician who could dominate the PP. It wasn't always the case. He improved so much in the first few seasons (quick learner) and learned how to break up plays against bigger and stronger players with high frequency. He had the same lateral agility (why he was so good at the line on the PP) and he used it to attack players at an angle when they came into the zone towards the net and was great with his stick.
 
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Wats

Error 520
Mar 8, 2006
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He did nothing in the OHL playoffs and very little in the AHL playoffs. Top 5 is still in doubt.
Then who replaces him in top 5? Wright's regular season production in AHL/OHL seems good enough to stay there.


I want to much for Hutson to pan out. He's so fun to watch offensively.
 

Paddy17

Registered User
Apr 10, 2021
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It is almost like most of them have never played hockey at a high level. Agility, edge work.

Hutson is elite at both of them. They are more important than straight line speed. Hutson is not slow at that either.

His ability to laterally move at a rapid pace leaves opposing players in the dust. The first three steps are the most important once you enter the other teams zone. Add in excellent stick handling and it is no surprise that he is an elusive player and hard to contain (breaking ankles).
Hutson moves around the ice like the most agile NFL receivers would, or someone playing ball hockey. He has no trouble changing direction quickly at any time. Brain and body work in synch, so it's like he can go anywhere his brain tells him to.
 

BaseballCoach

Registered User
Dec 15, 2006
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Hutson moves around the ice like the most agile NFL receivers would, or someone playing ball hockey. He has no trouble changing direction quickly at any time. Brain and body work in synch, so it's like he can go anywhere his brain tells him to.
Can his brain tell him to go faster, so forecheckers don't frequently beat him to the dump-ins (especially cuz Lane has little chance to bump them off the puck one they have it)?
 

MTL Dirty Birdy

Registered User
Aug 29, 2021
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I think that the hype is probably out of hand ... This fandom just rated Hutson as its number one prospect. He was drafted at #62 for a reason, and for him to be rated as an elite prospect I think that he would need at least one more season of substantial progression.
I agrée thé progress has to continue. With that said, the sole reason he fell so far is his size at the time of the draft. I think he was listed as 5’7” and 146 pounds. Although he had medical records showing his bones were two years behind in growth it still freaked trams out. Now we’re looking good with him already pushing 5’10” and 170 lbs
 

Nedved

Registered User
Mar 30, 2008
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I agrée thé progress has to continue. With that said, the sole reason he fell so far is his size at the time of the draft. I think he was listed as 5’7” and 146 pounds. Although he had medical records showing his bones were two years behind in growth it still freaked trams out. Now we’re looking good with him already pushing 5’10” and 170 lbs

By training camp he'll be 5'11 and 180 :sarcasm:
 
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WeThreeKings

Demidov is a HAB
Sep 19, 2006
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Elaborate for us non-basketball fans.

Steph Curry was considered too small, couldn't put on the weight, wouldn't be able to defend at the NBA level and despite being very good in college, he was still second guessed.

Keep in mind he went to a small college. Davidson college, not even one that gets good recruits.

He was still small but he used his otherworldly shooting ability and smarts to become the best 3 point shooter in NBA history.

Hutson might not have the frame and there may be knocks, but he's special and different. Let him be Lane.
 

Lafleurs Guy

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Jul 20, 2007
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Steph Curry was considered too small, couldn't put on the weight, wouldn't be able to defend at the NBA level and despite being very good in college, he was still second guessed.

Keep in mind he went to a small college. Davidson college, not even one that gets good recruits.

He was still small but he used his otherworldly shooting ability and smarts to become the best 3 point shooter in NBA history.

Hutson might not have the frame and there may be knocks, but he's special and different. Let him be Lane.
Wouldn’t Cole Caufield be Steph Curry then? :)
 
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Estimated_Prophet

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Mar 28, 2003
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I agrée thé progress has to continue. With that said, the sole reason he fell so far is his size at the time of the draft. I think he was listed as 5’7” and 146 pounds. Although he had medical records showing his bones were two years behind in growth it still freaked trams out. Now we’re looking good with him already pushing 5’10” and 170 lbs

He has grown exactly one inch in the last year and put on less than 5 lbs.

 
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Michoulicious

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Dec 9, 2014
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He has grown exactly one inch in the last year and put on less than 5 lbs.

Last time I've read something about it, he was 5'9, 158 lbs (late July 2023).

 
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