The Montreal Canadiens Lane Hutson has had an impressive start to his career with the squad as he has quickly made his mark as one of the most promising young defenseman in the league. The NHL Network unveiled their list of the top 20 defenseman in the NHL yesterday. Hutson placed sixth on the list, just narrowly missing out on the top 5.
Lane Hutson is One of the Most Talented Defensemen in the NHL
This honor is deserved for Hutson. He has proven that he can perform among the league’s best defensemen throughout his first two seasons in the show. The only defensemen that placed above Hutson on the list were Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski, Rasmus Dahlin and Miro Heiskanen. Three of those five d-men ahead of him have won the Norris trophy as the league’s number one blueliner. This bodes well for Hutson’s future chances of winning the award, especially considering he’s only 22 years old.
Hutson burst on the scene right from the get go in what was a historic rookie campaign in the 2024-2025 season. He amassed six goals and 60 assists for 66 points in 82 regular season games. He also recorded five assists in five playoff games. Hutson displayed early on that his game would translate to the next level after concern from some scouts that he would be too small to excel in the NHL. Hutson’s rookie year was considered the best of his class as he took home the Calder trophy for his efforts.
He was able to keep that elite form going in year two this past season. Hutson took that next step forward in his game as he registered 12 goals and 66 assists for 78 points in 82 regular season games. In the postseason, he tallied three goals and 13 assists for 16 points in 19 games. Hutson’s campaign was so strong that he received votes for the Norris trophy, finishing with the sixth most amongst the field. There is little doubt that Hutson should win the Norris at some point in his career with how he has played thus far.
Hutson Looking to Bring Stanley Cup Back to Montreal
If the Canadiens are to win a Stanley Cup with this talented youth core that they have built, Hutson will have to be a driving factor in that journey. He is one of many skilled young players at the forefront of this team that includes the likes of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov.
Hutson will carry with him a team-friendly $8.85 million salary cap hit over the next eight seasons with his current contract on the books until 2034. Considering Hutson’s play and the rate at which this cap is rising, he could have easily commanded a much higher number than he received.
This Montreal team is well-positioned to win with Hutson among those leading the way. The key for general manager Kent Hughes will be continuing to surround this core with the veteran support needed to reach the next level come playoff time. We’ll see if Hughes has any moves left up his sleeve ahead of next season as the Original Six franchise looks to win their first Stanley Cup since 1993.
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