The offseason leading into the 2025-26 season continues, and with the major events such as the NHL Entry Draft and free agent frenzy completed, the dog days of summer wear on as NHL management groups take a bit of a breather before the training camps begin. In this series, I will try to investigate every Montreal Canadiens roster player, recap their last season and look ahead to this upcoming season. I will look at their place in the organization, their role and their possible impact.
Related: Montreal Canadiens 2025-26 Player Previews: Jakub Dobes
In the next step of the series, I will move on to looking at the Canadiens’ blue line corps, starting with Montreal’s current super sophomore, Lane Hutson.
2024-25 Season Recap
Hutson had a bit of a slow start to the season as head coach Martin St. Louis deployed his rookie defender in a protected manner. He was sheltered on the third pair and given almost exclusive offensive zone starts. As the season wore on, Hutson earned more ice time and a larger role. He ended the season as the second-most-used skater on the club with an average ice time of 22:44 in all situations, behind only Mike Matheson’s 25:05. Hutson was also able to take over the role as the quarterback of the top power play (PP) unit, taking it from Matheson.
Hutson provided fans with one of the most exciting rookie seasons by a defenceman in decades. He scored six goals and 66 points to prove all of his doubters wrong that he can be an effective point producer in the NHL despite his size. Of his 66 points, 26 were power-play points, flashing elite offensive instincts and building chemistry with elite shooters such as Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine.
His playmaking is a big reason why Montreal’s offence began to click in 2024-25, but it is his ability to move the puck out of his zone and up ice while under control that makes him dangerous. Even more impressive is that defences knew he was a pass-first player as his average of 1.11 shots per game and a 6.6% scoring rate showed that his shot is in desperate need of improvement. Despite that, he used deceptive fakes and movements to freeze defenders who had to respect his shot. Hutson’s ability to create high danger looks and drive offence from the point has made him a premier offensive defenceman.
Hutson ended the season tying a 44-year-old NHL record, netting 60 assists as a rookie defenceman, becoming only the second player to do so since Hockey Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Larry Murphy did it with the Los Angeles Kings in 1980-81. He also sits fifth for most points (66) in NHL history among rookie defencemen, surpassing greats like Ray Bourque (65), Chris Chelios (64) and Nicklas Lidstrom (60).
He followed up a strong regular season, one that many rightfully argue was a success for the Canadiens because of Hutson’s play, with a strong playoff performance. He led the club in scoring in the playoffs as a point-per-game player, recording five assists in five games, all while leading the club in time on ice (24:50) in all situations. On the strength of a historic rookie campaign, in which he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie in 2024-25, what will be his encore for 2025-26?
2025-26 Season Expectations
If Hutson can get 66 points as a rookie, is that his ceiling or just his floor? He compares to modern puck movers such as Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox. The real question is, will he suffer from a sophomore slump, or will he take another leap forward in his development? Just looking at the skill he possesses, his increased role, and the improved roster he will be a part of, it’s difficult to imagine him not reaching the 65-to-70-point plateau.
But what about his size? While he is undersized at 5-foot-9, he was one of seven players on the Canadiens’ roster to play all 82 games in 2024-25. This is important to note as he was a target for opposing forwards last season; it demonstrates an ability to identify his pursuers and to roll off or avoid the worst of the physical play. This elusive style fits into his overall style of play and makes him more effective as a puck mover, so much so that he was voted as the third-best player under 23 by NHL.com.
The reigning Calder Trophy winner is expected to play a key role in the Canadiens’ success in 2025-26. Even with the acquisition of Noah Dobson to fill a need on the right-hand side of the blue line, the role on the top power-play unit is still Hutson’s to lose going into training camp. His performance last season and his expected top role in Montreal mean he is also under consideration for Team USA at the 2026 Olympic Games. While the 2022 second-round pick needs to polish his defensive game before he can be seen as a true top-pairing defenceman, Hutson will continue to log big minutes and grow as a player, especially on the top PP, which will mean he will be relied upon heavily for the Canadiens this upcoming season.
