Prospect Info: Lane Hutson Part 2

[ChesterNimitz]

Not sure about how to evaluate these stats against each other, but pair Matheson with a stud vet RHD instead of a kid rushed too young and playing off his wing, cut his minutes by 25%, replace him on special teams with actual specialists (like Hutson, here), and we’re all looking at a different defence.

My eval of the D being shit without him starts with one of the worse teams in the nhl and removing it’s best defenseman to pencil in a goon with potential upside. We’re all excited about the team’s potential, me first. I love Mailloux, Xjekaj, Reinbacher and the gang. As it stands they have accomplished nothing and are collectively being eaten alive by the world’s best forwards, and their prime is 5 years away.. They need to start winning before that. Matheson has silky smoothe skating and will be able and keep it up for many years still.

If you are correct that Matheson can keep up his elite skating abilities 'for many years' to come then it would be foolish to trade him. And Hughes is anything but foolish.

As I have often posted, you trade away elite skating at your franchise's peril.

I would respectfully suggest that anyone who believes Hughes and MSL will be trading Matheson, a player who has elite skating ability, plays 25 to 28 minutes each game in all game situations, provides 60+ points production, is a team leader and is local boy who wants to play in the fish bowl that is Montreal, at any time while still playing for a contract that pays him less than $5m per year, is missing the thread.

 

[LaP]

Matheson is not being traded before next summer. And whatever he is taded or not next summer will depend on :

1) How well he plays next season (was last year a fluke?)
2) How greedy he is in his next contract negociation (does he want 6.5+ for 5+ years which means we'll have to renegociate Demidov/Dach/Newhook/... while there's still many years left on Matheson's contract)

 

[WeThreeKings]

Nah, Matheson is here as long as it takes for Hutson to firmly establish himself.

Guhle-Hutson-Engstrom/Xhekaj/Struble down the left side is an eventuality.

 

[Toene]

Nah, Matheson is here as long as it takes for Hutson to firmly establish himself.

Guhle-Hutson-Engstrom/Xhekaj/Struble down the left side is an eventuality.

Something's gotta give though, it's not sustainable to keep so many left-side Ds. Ideally, Matheson and Struble should be traded.

 

[Miller Time]

If you are correct that Matheson can keep up his elite skating abilities 'for many years' to come then it would be foolish to trade him. And Hughes is anything but foolish.

As I have often posted, you trade away elite skating at your franchise's peril.

I would respectfully suggest that anyone who believes Hughes and MSL will be trading Matheson, a player who has elite skating ability, plays 25 to 28 minutes each game in all game situations, provides 60+ points production, is a team leader and is local boy who wants to play in the fish bowl that is Montreal, at any time while still playing for a contract that pays him less than $5m per year, is missing the thread.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Something's gotta give though, it's not sustainable to keep so many left-side Ds. Ideally, Matheson and Struble should be traded.

I really like all of our LHD's so it will be tough to lose any of them.

I think trading Struble will come back to bite us as he has elite shut down potential while also having some intriguing PMD skills and has playoff warrior written all over him.

From a building strategy perspective we really need to get our young RHD's some NHL ice time as well as only Barron has any NHL experience (Mailloux's one game aside). Even after moving Savard, Reinbacher and Mailloux will immediately block any thoughts of trying LHD's to the right side.

It is going to be difficult to get the value that Struble deserves in a trade without him having the opportunity to showcase his play. If he does earn the playing time it will mean that we either have injury issues or that Xhekaj and/or Hutson are struggling which is far fromn ideal as you don't want to trade them either especially with diminished value if they struggle. It becomes enticing to consider trading Matheson as he is older but I really like his game and leadership and I have a difficult time seeing Hughes wanting to do that.

I could see Struble straight up beating out Xhekaj and Hutson in pre-season and making HuGo's decision really tough. I think most people will default to the idea of sending Struble down and that may happen but he will make that decision extremely difficult imo.

 

[Canadienna]

Another angle for that Karlsson-esque pass.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837570424072237138

 

[Gally11]

Nah, Matheson is here as long as it takes for Hutson to firmly establish himself.

Guhle-Hutson-Engstrom/Xhekaj/Struble down the left side is an eventuality.

So not very long by the looks of things

 

[overlords]

Another angle for that Karlsson-esque pass.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837570424072237138

give the cameraman a raise

 

[Favster]

Another angle for that Karlsson-esque pass.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837570424072237138

That's just unbelievable. Wow

 

[HabzSauce]

I really like all of our LHD's so it will be tough to lose any of them.

I think trading Struble will come back to bite us as he has elite shut down potential while also having some intriguing PMD skills and has playoff warrior written all over him.

From a building strategy perspective we really need to get our young RHD's some NHL ice time as well as only Barron has any NHL experience (Mailloux's one game aside). Even after moving Savard, Reinbacher and Mailloux will immediately block any thoughts of trying LHD's to the right side.

It is going to be difficult to get the value that Struble deserves in a trade without him having the opportunity to showcase his play. If he does earn the playing time it will mean that we either have injury issues or that Xhekaj and/or Hutson are struggling which is far fromn ideal as you don't want to trade them either especially with diminished value if they struggle. It becomes enticing to consider trading Matheson as he is older but I really like his game and leadership and I have a difficult time seeing Hughes wanting to do that.

I could see Struble straight up beating out Xhekaj and Hutson in pre-season and making HuGo's decision really tough. I think most people will default to the idea of sending Struble down and that may happen but he will make that decision extremely difficult imo.

Matheson
Hutson
Guhle
Xhekaj
Struble
Engstrom

Lol 6 LDs. Bold are keepers, and then the remaining 4 have to fight it out for last spot. Pain we can't keep em all but great problem to have tho

I like Matheson a lot too but out of all of them, he's clear odd man out here. He would fetch a solid return if we traded him. It would be foolish to extend him at 32 over the young guys we got especially with Huston

 

[MVP Zacha]

Another angle for that Karlsson-esque pass.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1837570424072237138

Devils fan coming in peace. I just came here to post this. What an absolute stud the Habs have in Hutson. I will be watching as many Canadiens games as I can this year to see Lane.

 

[Rapala]

If you are correct that Matheson can keep up his elite skating abilities 'for many years' to come then it would be foolish to trade him. And Hughes is anything but foolish.

As I have often posted, you trade away elite skating at your franchise's peril.

I would respectfully suggest that anyone who believes Hughes and MSL will be trading Matheson, a player who has elite skating ability, plays 25 to 28 minutes each game in all game situations, provides 60+ points production, is a team leader and is local boy who wants to play in the fish bowl that is Montreal, at any time while still playing for a contract that pays him less than $5m per year, is missing the thread.

No one is going to dispute Matheson's skating which should age well.
I truly believe Matheson's ultimate fate will depend his ability to keep pucks out of his own net.
His very best "Team" games last season had his pairing playing a shutdown role period.
These were the game most fans felt were the team's very best all season long.
I get the impression we are surely going expect a good number more of those types of games going forward.
Put it this way if we seriously want to compete in this league we will have to.
The same will apply to our top line(s).

 

[ChesterNimitz]

That's just unbelievable. Wow

The reception was as impressive as the pass.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Non habs fans who only saw Hutson at the world juniors and haven't watched his college plays will be in for a surprise when they'll see him play in the nhl.

Hutson didn't really look dynamic at the world juniors because he really focused on defending and shutting down the opponents. However, in reality, he's extremely dynamic and skilled, and people will discover that very soon at the nhl level.

 

[The Great Weal]

Hopefully, it won't take long for him to overtake Matheson on the 1st unit PP.

 

[Favster]

The reception was as impressive as the pass.

I mean, the route was perfect but the reception was pretty easy. The sauce dish reminded me of the one Karlsson did a while back, absolutely perfect.