Player Discussion Lane Hutson Part 2

[Habs Icing]

If grandma had wheels instead of feet, she'd be a bicycle.

Wrong! She'd be a mutant.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

If grandma had wheels instead of feet, she'd be a bicycle.

Wrong! She'd be a mutant.

Those of us who played Chrono Trigger growing up know it can actually be both

 

[Naslundforever]

reminds me of when subban was a prospect,

I was much, much higher on Subban as a prospect. He could out-skate and out-muscle this kid on one leg. He was 10x as tough and mobile (both ways) and had a booming shot. You could see it in Hamilton. Then he became a strong, hitting, dangling, flying power-play shooting Norris winner. If Hutson has even just some of pk’s offensive upside I’d be happy. Forget the rest.

Peeps need to chill on here with Hutson and the gang; they are still infants who can barely grow beards and may not even make the nhl.

Loving the dangles in these no-consequence games against other infants but the nhl is something else.

 

[Team_Spirit]

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

By training camp he'll be 5'11 and 180

I suspect after his next year at BU he’ll be a decent size where his skill will make the difference. Similar to Quinn Hughes

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

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

2022 NHL Combine Heights & Weights - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

The 2022 NHL Combine is back live on this first Saturday of June. With that, we have the heights and weights of prospects who tested.

thehockeywriters.com

Hey Prophet. I stand corrected on his height. Hockey writers scouting teport had him at 148 in April before the combine. That’s where I got that from. We’ll see what the Habs camp states this year

 

[Nedved]

Hey Prophet. I stand corrected on his height. Hockey writers scouting teport had him at 148 in April before the combine. That’s where I got that from. We’ll see what the Habs camp states this year

The eye test, from the summer series, I say he's easily 5'11" and 185. Now, the doctors tell me I need glasses, but it's clear as day.

In all honesty, get him in the gym and on MSL's tree trunk workout and he'll be fine.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Hey Prophet. I stand corrected on his height. Hockey writers scouting teport had him at 148 in April before the combine. That’s where I got that from. We’ll see what the Habs camp states this year

The height/weight that were listed before the draft were from the USNDTP measurements from the start of the previous season. He won't be at camp this year but he needs to put on about 20 lbs to play in the NHL. He appears to have grown an inch in each of the last two seasons and who knows if that continues but he will turn 20 in February so I would be surprised if he has much more time to grow. Like I stated earlier it likely won't matter much as he will almost always be the smallest/weakest player on the ice in the NHL. His skating and gaining as much muscle as possible need to be his main focus.

 

[montreal]

Is that why he transfered because he isn't good ?

I don't know why he transferred out, he's certainly struggled badly. During his draft year when posters were suggesting to take him in the 1st round I said no way since I saw just about every NU game and he just did not impress. That said NU struggled this year as they did not have a good puck mover from the back end and their PP struggled.

You know it's bad when your 51st OA pick is outplayed by the 2 undrafted local kids in Justin Hryckowian and Matt Choupani. I could see the Habs trying to sign Hryckowian if he wants to turn pro at the end of the season. He'll turn 23 in Feb but will be a Junior so we'll see what he wants to do but I would think the Habs will be interested when he does opt to go pro.

 

[danisonfire]

I was much, much higher on Subban as a prospect. He could out-skate and out-muscle this kid on one leg. He was 10x as tough and mobile (both ways) and had a booming shot. You could see it in Hamilton. Then he became a strong, hitting, dangling, flying power-play shooting Norris winner. If Hutson has even just some of pk’s offensive upside I’d be happy. Forget the rest.

Peeps need to chill on here with Hutson and the gang; they are still infants who can barely grow beards and may not even make the nhl.

Loving the dangles in these no-consequence games against other infants but the nhl is something else.

He'll be fine. We've already seen him against older stronger players (NCAA) and men in the NHL and top European league players (WC). He had 2 goals 4 assists in 9 games and was plus 7, against professional players.

You don't get to plus 7 in 9 games with that production if you are a pylon and outclassed completely. We are still acting like he is playing 16 year olds and a long shot to make the NHL where he will get senselessly bullied. It hasn't happened so far and doesn't look like it will. He has a single line on his entire profile with a negative +/-, -1 in 4 games. The rest are all positive. +27 in the USHL, +59 in the NTDP, and +25 at BU.

Head up the entire way and reading the play with the puck. There are NHL players thats lack this skill without the puck, nevermind with it. This is how you avoid getting killed at Hutson's size. It doesn't matter how big, strong or talented you are, either, see Eric Lindros. This is the biggest killer of talented kids that don't make it in the NHL.

This is the biggest thing Slafkovsky has to figure out and you can't be elite without it. You might even get killed.



Head up with these hands? I am not worried at all.

 

[Naslundforever]

He'll be fine. We've already seen him against older stronger players (NCAA) and men in the NHL and top European league players (WC). He had 2 goals 4 assists in 9 games and was plus 7, against professional players.

You don't get to plus 7 in 9 games with that production if you are a pylon and outclassed completely. We are still acting like he is playing 16 year olds and a long shot to make the NHL where he will get senselessly bullied. It hasn't happened so far and doesn't look like it will. He has a single line on his entire profile with a negative +/-, -1 in 4 games. The rest are all positive. +27 in the USHL, +59 in the NTDP, and +25 at BU.

Head up the entire way and reading the play with the puck. There are NHL players thats lack this skill without the puck, nevermind with it. This is how you avoid getting killed at Hutson's size. It doesn't matter how big, strong or talented you are, either, see Eric Lindros. This is the biggest killer of talented kids that don't make it in the NHL.

This is the biggest thing Slafkovsky has to figure out and you can't be elite without it. You might even get killed.



Head up with these hands? I am not worried at all.

The promise of entertainment and a good powerplay is awesome for sure. I was thinking of those sequences the habs were chasing last year, and can’t figure out how this guy will ever force anyone into a corner and take the puck, never mind knock them off it first. Obviously rooting for him; I’m uncomfortable with the comparisons with a Norris winner, PK was just as good or better offensively but could ALSO muscle a guy off the puck, and had generational edges skating in all directions (until he got too big perhaps, but that’s another story…).

Hutson does not need to become PK and will most probably not come close. I read so many comparables on this site, I must say I am guilty myself with my hall of fame predictions for Parker Jones.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

The eye test, from the summer series, I say he's easily 5'11" and 185. Now, the doctors tell me I need glasses, but it's clear as day.

In all honesty, get him in the gym and on MSL's tree trunk workout and he'll be fine.

Regardless of what numbers say he doesn’t look impossibly small out there which is fine by me.

He’s still small and it’s definitely a question mark. But it’s not that bad.

He'll be fine. We've already seen him against older stronger players (NCAA) and men in the NHL and top European league players (WC). He had 2 goals 4 assists in 9 games and was plus 7, against professional players.

You don't get to plus 7 in 9 games with that production if you are a pylon and outclassed completely. We are still acting like he is playing 16 year olds and a long shot to make the NHL where he will get senselessly bullied. It hasn't happened so far and doesn't look like it will. He has a single line on his entire profile with a negative +/-, -1 in 4 games. The rest are all positive. +27 in the USHL, +59 in the NTDP, and +25 at BU.

Head up the entire way and reading the play with the puck. There are NHL players thats lack this skill without the puck, nevermind with it. This is how you avoid getting killed at Hutson's size. It doesn't matter how big, strong or talented you are, either, see Eric Lindros. This is the biggest killer of talented kids that don't make it in the NHL.

This is the biggest thing Slafkovsky has to figure out and you can't be elite without it. You might even get killed.



Head up with these hands? I am not worried at all.

Yeah you can’t hand wave what he did in the ncaa like it’s the bchl or something.

People acting like the ncaa is a bum league or something lol.

 

[montreal]

The promise of entertainment and a good powerplay is awesome for sure. I was thinking of those sequences the habs were chasing last year, and can’t figure out how this guy will ever force anyone into a corner and take the puck, never mind knock them off it first. Obviously rooting for him; I’m uncomfortable with the comparisons with a Norris winner, PK was just as good or better offensively but could ALSO muscle a guy off the puck, and had generational edges skating in all directions (until he got too big perhaps, but that’s another story…).

Hutson does not need to become PK and will most probably not come close. I read so many comparables on this site, I must say I am guilty myself with my hall of fame predictions for Parker Jones.

I wouldn't compare him to PK, who I saw a lot of at the same age, but they are just very different players.

As for Hutson and the NHL, I wouldn't look at the player he is now or how this team looks cause in 3-4 years, when this will really start to matter and show much clearer, then we'll see. If you have Guhle, Reinbacher as possible Shea Weber level type of D's (again say 4 years and that might be too soon) but the point is this team, the blueline, could look very different.

 

[Naslundforever]

I wouldn't compare him to PK, who I saw a lot of at the same age, but they are just very different players.

As for Hutson and the NHL, I wouldn't look at the player he is now or how this team looks cause in 3-4 years, when this will really start to matter and show much clearer, then we'll see. If you have Guhle, Reinbacher as possible Shea Weber level type of D's (again say 4 years and that might be too soon) but the point is this team, the blueline, could look very different.

Hutson fits a profile they don’t have and I have to agree about the D, especially Guhle who seems set to be quite the stud. What’s fun is the future at the blue line does not depend on whether Hutson can eventually log big minutes or be an exploitation 3rd pairing D / pp qb.

 

[montreal]

Hutson fits a profile they don’t have and I have to agree about the D, especially Guhle who seems set to be quite the stud. What’s fun is the future at the blue line does not depend on whether Hutson can eventually log big minutes or be an exploitation 3rd pairing D / pp qb.

depending on how the offense from the blueline unfolds, as we have seen what happens when you lose a Markov level D and don't replace him. They will need several guys to show they can consistently move the puck well and set up the offense. Will be extremely interesting to see how that unfolds but clearly with the depth we have now, the Habs are building up a possible very impressive blueline but one with tons of question marks right now.

This could go in so many directions good or bad.

 

[danisonfire]

depending on how the offense from the blueline unfolds, as we have seen what happens when you lose a Markov level D and don't replace him. They will need several guys to show they can consistently move the puck well and set up the offense. Will be extremely interesting to see how that unfolds but clearly with the depth we have now, the Habs are building up a possible very impressive blueline but one with tons of question marks right now.

This could go in so many directions good or bad.

This is how it looks right now with young players and prospects:

LD:

NHL: Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj
AHL: Jayden Struble, William Trudeau, Mattias Norlinder
Prospects: Lane Hutson, Adam Engstrom, Luke Mittelstadt

RD:

NHL: Justin Barron
AHL: Logan Mailloux, Miguel Tourigny
Prospects: David Reinbacher, Bogdan Konyushkov, Dmitri Kostenko, Daniel Sobolev

For me these ones look the most likely to make it / stick

LD: Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj, Mattias Norlinder, Lane Hutson, Adam Engstrom
RD: Justin Barron, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher

With a few more of our good prospects "hitting" and trades / free agents we may even end up with a massive surplus. This team has been stacking D for years.

We finally got a few hits (Guhle, Hutson, Mailloux), traded for barron, drafted Reinbacher and we have a bunch of other good/great players right behind them that can be added or traded for need. Some of the names I left off my "hits" list may very well end up massive hits. There are several doing well.

 

[HabzSauce]

This is how it looks right now with young players and prospects:

LD:

NHL: Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj
AHL: Jayden Struble, William Trudeau, Mattias Norlinder
Prospects: Lane Hutson, Adam Engstrom, Luke Mittelstadt

RD:

NHL: Justin Barron
AHL: Logan Mailloux, Miguel Tourigny
Prospects: David Reinbacher, Bogdan Konyushkov, Dmitri Kostenko, Daniel Sobolev

For me these ones look the most likely to make it / stick

RD: Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj, Mattias Norlinder, Lane Hutson, Adam Engstrom
LD: Justin Barron, Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher

With a few more of our good prospects "hitting" and trades / free agents we may even end up with a massive surplus. This team has been stacking D for years.

We finally got a few hits (Guhle, Hutson, Mailloux), traded for barron, drafted Reinbacher and we have a bunch of other good/great players right behind them that can be added or traded for need. Some of the names I left off my "hits" list may very well end up massive hits. There are several doing well.

Guhle, Matheson, Xhakej, Engstrom, Hutson all on LD. What a fantastic problem to have

Hutson becoming THAT guy is the goal - we'll see how he looks a year from now I can't wait.
But having Matheson et al as insurance is insane to me

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Guhle, Matheson, Xhakej, Engstrom, Hutson all on LD. What a fantastic problem to have

Hutson becoming THAT guy is the goal - we'll see how he looks a year from now I can't wait.
But having Matheson et al as insurance is insane to me

Matheson will be gone in max 2 seasons.

 

[schwang26]

I was much, much higher on Subban as a prospect. He could out-skate and out-muscle this kid on one leg. He was 10x as tough and mobile (both ways) and had a booming shot. You could see it in Hamilton. Then he became a strong, hitting, dangling, flying power-play shooting Norris winner. If Hutson has even just some of pk’s offensive upside I’d be happy. Forget the rest.

Peeps need to chill on here with Hutson and the gang; they are still infants who can barely grow beards and may not even make the nhl.

Loving the dangles in these no-consequence games against other infants but the nhl is something else.

The US program has improved immensely in the past few years. There are plenty of smaller guys that have gone on to great careers in the NHL. I agree not to overhype, but I think you're being a bit too cynical. Especially considering that it's not only Habs fans who are singing the kids' praises.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Guhle, Matheson, Xhakej, Engstrom, Hutson all on LD. What a fantastic problem to have

Hutson becoming THAT guy is the goal - we'll see how he looks a year from now I can't wait.
But having Matheson et al as insurance is insane to me

I'd put Struble in that group as well.

 

[danisonfire]

I'd put Struble in that group as well.

I could have added in half our prospect pool, including him. There are many doing great, it is exciting. Also is easier to trade surplus D for whatever you need.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I could have added in half our prospect pool, including him. There are many doing great, it is exciting. Also is easier to trade surplus D for whatever you need.

Ummmm......no you could not have, as the part of the discussion that I was specifically referring to was exclusively about LD. Someone else even mentioned Norlinder without mentioning Struble, which is an egregious mistake imo. There are no other notable LD's left in our system once he was added to the list.

 

[danisonfire]

Ummmm......no you could not have, as the part of the discussion that I was specifically referring to was exclusively about LD. Someone else even mentioned Norlinder without mentioning Struble, which is an egregious mistake imo. There are no other notable LD's left in our system once he was added to the list.

I did. I think any of the guys you named like Struble, Norlinder, Trudeau (I'm adding) have the tools to "make it". They just have to put it all together. I try not to get hung up on the ups and downs for each player. The physical skills are there to develop. Norlinder at the start of last year was hyped way more than Struble. Struble had a better year. They both still have the tools.

I like to think of it as some of them will hit and fill in the gaps. LD is looking beautiful. You look at LD specifically and see great raw tools to develop from all the names here. Mittelstadt is the only name I look at and go "I'm not sure if he has the ability" and the truth is that I don't really know much about him to start with.

NHL: Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj
AHL: Jayden Struble, William Trudeau, Mattias Norlinder
Prospects: Lane Hutson, Adam Engstrom, Luke Mittelstadt

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I did. I think any of the guys you named like Struble, Norlinder, Trudeau (I'm adding) have the tools to "make it". They just have to put it all together. I try not to get hung up on the ups and downs for each player. The physical skills are there to develop. Norlinder at the start of last year was hyped way more than Struble. Struble had a better year. They both still have the tools.

I like to think of it as some of them will hit and fill in the gaps. LD is looking beautiful. You look at LD specifically and see great raw tools to develop from all the names here. Mittelstadt is the only name I look at and go "I'm not sure if he has the ability" and the truth is that I don't really know much about him to start with.

NHL: Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj
AHL: Jayden Struble, William Trudeau, Mattias Norlinder
Prospects: Lane Hutson, Adam Engstrom, Luke Mittelstadt

Norlinder was already considered by many to be busting before last season even started. Struble is 100% in a tier above him and also above Trudeau who has played very well but I do not see a path to Montreal for him as he is something of a tweener who doesn't do anything at a high level but has nice balance. Struble has the skating, physicality and ferocity to make an impact in the NHL, he just needs to be refined a little. I really like Trudeau but I am not sold on him being anything more than a spare part/journeyman whereas Struble has the potential to fill a more specific role on a contending team.

 

[danisonfire]

Norlinder was already considered by many to be busting before last season even started. Struble is 100% in a tier above him and also above Trudeau who has played very well but I do not see a path to Montreal for him as he is something of a tweener who doesn't do anything at a high level but has nice balance. Struble has the skating, physicality and ferocity to make an impact in the NHL, he just needs to be refined a little. I really like Trudeau but I am not sold on him being anything more than a spare part/journeyman whereas Struble has the potential to fill a more specific role on a contending team.

I agree with you I actually mixed up the year for Norlinder. I still think he has more elite upside that Struble. He just will probably never hit it and has a way lower floor. I agree with you that Struble will be a safer bet to actually make it.

Norlinder sometimes shows his high end IQ and other times you wonder what the heck is going on in his head. I pray he figures it out. Tools are there.

Trudeau is one I see in the thrown into trades tier in the future.