The 2024 World Junior Championship (WJC) has come to a close, and Team USA has won the gold medal over Team Sweden. Lane Hutson played a pivotal role, just as he does with his NCAA club, Boston University (BU). Canadiens fans should be excited with the way that Hutson has been developing his game overall. He has been outstanding for BU over his entire collegiate career and internationally.
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Hutson has the potential to be a star; he has what it takes to do great things. Not only is he an offensive machine, but he has also been focused on improving defensively. There is a good chance that he would be able to be signed to an entry-level contract (ELC) and play a few games for Montreal before the 2023-24 season comes to a close. The question is, will he be ready to play in the NHL? His play this season says yes, and we will look at his current ability to play professionally.
Hutson is Golden at the 2024 World Juniors
Hutson’s defensive play at the WJC has shown that his game is evolving and becoming more well-rounded. His commitment to defence shows maturity in that he can identify his faults and fix them. That focus on defence hasn’t hurt his offensive game, as he finished the tournament tied for the lead in assists by a defenceman with six.
In the end, he ended up being the most pivotal player on that Team USA blue line as their number one defenceman and was named to the WJC All-Star team. However, before the tournament, his defensive play was in question, but there was no question for the American head coach, David Carle.
“I’d heard about his offensive potential, but I was surprised by his willingness to limit the opponent’s time and space in defensive territory. The more I work with him on a daily basis, the more I appreciate his defensive game. We should talk more about this aspect of his game, but I understand that his offensive exploits attract more attention.”
– David Carle (Pendant ce temps, Lane Hutson…, Mathias Brunet, La Presse, 27 Dec 2023)
This tournament showcased the fact that Hutson has grown in his defensive game, but also a willingness to battle anyone as he took on a 6-foot-4 Anton Johansson to defend a teammate at the end of the gold medal game. While he showed defensive growth, it didn’t come at the expense of his offensive skills as he remained a playmaker that can control the game offensively.
Coach Carle was asked after the gold medal game about the impact Hutson has on a team, and he said “His decision-making with and without the puck impacts the game.” The fact that he played 27:20 in the gold medal game, and regularly played over 25 minutes per game in the tournament underscores his potential to become a top-four NHL defenceman.
Canadiens’ College Hockey Star
Hutson is having a phenomenal sophomore season with BU. Before joining Team USA at the WJC, he had eight goals and 20 points in 15 NCAA games, making him the highest-scoring defenceman in Hockey East and third-highest in the NCAA at that time. Since he left, he has been outpaced, but barely, he now sits fourth in scoring for NCAA defenders and has played as many as five games fewer than those ahead of him this season. Once he returns, he is likely to climb those rankings again thanks to his added confidence and BU head coach Jay Pandolfo’s reliance on him to control the game from the blue line out. Now with a bronze and gold medal in his pocket from the last two WJCs, Hutson can focus on helping BU win a National Title.
He plays loose, but not careless. He is fearless and takes chances without concern of making mistakes because he has been able to use his mobility to help him recover and regain defensive positioning. Mistakes happen regardless, instead of always playing it safe, he pushes the pace. He does have an impressive set of skills, but it’s the consistency in his approach, executing the simple plays routinely that sets him apart. On his French Language podcast, Marc-Antoine Godin spoke of the approach the Canadiens are taking with their top defensive prospect. He compared it to the one taken with Cole Caufield, where the team wanted to see growth away from the puck after strong offensive numbers in his freshman year. This also allows for more time to add strength and refine his game.
Canadiens Have an NHL-Ready Defenceman
The Canadiens have been missing a true quarterback that can run the powerplay (PP) since Andrei Markov left. Hutson is proving to be an elite PP weapon thanks to his jaw-dropping footwork along the blue line, which he uses to create space and open multiple shooting or passing options.
He oozes confidence while in control of the puck, directing play with his movement and shot selection. Add that to his great accuracy when shooting. That makes up for any perceived lack of velocity, as his release makes him dangerous. It is sneaky and while the shot is not particularly quick, it is the deceptive nature of the shot based on angle and timing of release that makes it hard for goalies to square up positionally and rarely anticipate where the puck will end up.
Canadiens general manager (GM) Kent Hughes mentioned on The Sick Podcast – The Eye Test that he wants to see Hutson sign his entry-level contract once Boston University’s season is over. He also spoke of the desire to see him play a larger role for his club at this tournament. His wish came true as Hutson was the Americans’ best defenceman. With that additional international experience, and his improved play in his sophomore season, it’s easy to see how the Canadiens see him as NHL-ready as soon as the end of this season.
