The Washington Capitals are the top team in the Eastern Conference as we head into the brisk December weather. It didn’t start that way, with an 8-8-2 record in mid-November; however, a 10-1-1 stretch over the last 12 games has catapulted the Capitals up the Metropolitan Division standings. Like last season’s late arrival of Ryan Leonard, Washington has another ace up its sleeve with an NHL-ready prospect waiting in the wings at Boston University: Cole Hutson.
We don’t know if the second-year defenseman from BU will make the jump to the NHL following his college season. But if you listen to Hutson’s head coach, Jay Pandolfo, the Capitals should be excited about adding an offensively-minded blueliner this spring.
Capitals Top Prospect Playing Well for Boston University in 2025-26
Hutson, 19, has recorded 68 points in 56 games with BU. As a freshman in 2024-25, he scored 14 goals and 48 points through 39 games, and he’s on pace for similar production this season with seven goals and 20 points in 17 games. Hutson ranks second in ice time (TOI/G), averaging 26:23, trailing only undrafted Northeastern defenseman Vinny Borgesi at 27:20 TOI/G per College Hockey News.
“I do see the ability to have that type of impact right away with Cole,” Pandolfo told RG Media’s James Murphy earlier this week when asked about Hutson’s transition to professional hockey. “He’s playing with great players here, but when you’re playing with even better players at the National Hockey League level, that can elevate your game when you have that type of hockey sense and brain.”
The Terriers’ head coach has some knowledge in that area after a 15-year NHL career, including two Cup championships with the New Jersey Devils in 1999-2000 and 2002-03. Pandolfo scored 100 goals and 226 points playing for three NHL organizations – the Devils, New York Islanders, and Boston Bruins. He also recorded 33 points in 131 playoff games, including three trips to the Stanley Cup Final in four years between 1999 and 2003.
Pandolfo Compares Hutson Brothers’ Skill Sets
Hutson’s older brother, defenseman Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, 22, skated for two seasons under Pandolfo at BU in 2022-23 and 2023-24, recording 97 points in 77 games before making the jump to the NHL at the end of the 2023-24 season. Lane took the NHL by storm with 66 points in 82 games in 2024-25, including scoring a record-tying 60 assists by a rookie defenseman. He was awarded the 2025 Calder Trophy.
“I think he has similarities to Lane,” Pandolfo said of Cole. “I think he can control the pace of play. His brain is just like Lane’s: a step ahead of most guys on the ice. Sometimes, the players he’s playing against, he sees the ice so well that he probably does it a little differently than Lane does from an offensive standpoint. Lane’s a little bit more, I would say, shiftier, whereas Cole maybe has a little bit more speed. Lane may be quicker side to side, but overall, Cole is faster.”
While it is way too early to grab betting slips for next season’s Calder Trophy, the younger Hutson should have every opportunity to compete for that award if he signs his entry-level deal with the Capitals following this season. “I think he can have the same impact as Lane,” Pandolfo stated. “Lane’s incredible, and that season he had last year obviously got him the Calder Trophy. I don’t want to sit here and say that Cole’s going to go and win Rookie of the Year (in 2026-27), but I’m not going to say he is not either.”
Hutson Expected to Join Several Teammates at 2026 World Junior Championship in Minnesota
BU has struggled (8-8-1) in the Hockey East Conference this season. However, the 20th-ranked Terriers are still in a fine position for a postseason run in a vastly improved college hockey landscape. They play one more game (at home against Northeastern) on Dec. 13 before a scheduled holiday break until Jan. 9, 2026. During that time, Hutson and several Terrier teammates will head to Minnesota for the 2026 World Junior Championships.
While we await the official announcement of the Team USA roster, one Terrier has already been named to the tournament. Sascha Boumedienne, a 2025 Winnipeg Jets draft pick, will try to help Team Sweden win a medal after a fourth-place finish last year. This will be his first trip to the Under-20 WJC’s, but the 18-year-old defender was electric in last season’s Under-18 World Juniors. Boumedienne’s 13 assists led the tournament as Sweden claimed a silver medal in May.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
Hutson is expected to be a top-pairing defenseman for Team USA later this month. He led the 2025 World Juniors Championships in points with three goals and eight assists as Team USA captured the gold medal in Canada. Cole Eiserman and Kamil Bednarik, two forward teammates at BU, are expected to join him in Minnesota as the USA attempts to repeat as World Juniors champions.
Capitals GM Chris Patrick and his staff will be watching the Minneapolis-St. Paul-based tournament closely. The results of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Tournament may factor in Cole’s decision to jump to the NHL or return to BU for his junior season, although there isn’t much left for Hutson to prove at the NCAA level. Most NHL teams must be envious that the Capitals have the potential to add a ready-made, impactful defenseman ahead of what could be Alex Ovechkin’s final postseason party.
