Every so often, during a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, someone says something that cuts through the usual clichés and hits hard on a player. That happened this past weekend when Chris Pronger, of all people, delivered one of the most unexpected breakdowns of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson that I’ve heard yet.
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Pronger’s analysis was not particularly harsh, but it was delivered almost in an amused tone. It was the first critical review of Hutson’s play that I’d heard. And, the truth is, I had never considered Pronger’s perspective.
For Pronger, Hutson Has Great Talent, But He’s Too Chaotic
In short, Pronger laid out something most analysts have avoided. Sure, Hutson has immense talent. Perhaps next to Vancouver Canucks blueliner Quinn Hughes, whose game is the most fun to watch, Hutson is hard to take your eyes off when he’s on the ice. He, like Hughes, also plays a fun game to watch.
But Pronger also pointed out another aspect to it. For his money, Hutson’s game is too frantic, and he hinted that sometimes the kind of chaos Hutson creates will one day get in his way.
With Hutson’s help, Montreal dismantled the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday night. It was after Hutson flew off the bench to deposit a goal behind Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll that Pronger took a moment to focus on the 20-year-old defenseman. He described Hutson as “a water bug”—arms and legs everywhere, darting around with energy that sometimes overwhelms the structure of the play.
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Pronger’s point was simple: you can get away with that when you’re young, fast, and eager. But the NHL eventually forces players—especially smaller defensemen—to tighten up, to conserve energy, and to pick their spots.
While Hutson’s Game Is Far from Pronger’s, There’s Something to Consider Here
Coming from Pronger, this critique carried weight. However, it’s also best taken with a pinch of salt. Pronger, 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, played a towering, punishing, territorial style. He didn’t skate to find the game; he made the game come to him. Hutson, at 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, doesn’t have that luxury. His best weapon is constant motion, the creativity that makes defenders guess instead of react.
When Pronger says Hutson needs to “calm down,” it risks sounding like an eagle trying to get a hummingbird to flap slower. But underneath the stylistic mismatch lies an important truth. Many small defensemen enter the NHL playing like a metaphorical hummingbird. They know no other way than to jitter around, risk the same overextension in the defensive zone, and work to solve problems through movement rather than positioning.
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Each of these highly-talented, but smaller blueliners had to learn that fine edge. They have to lean on their talent first, but if they are going to become 23-minute players who don’t wear out, they next need to learn when movement helps, and when it simply adds buzz to the game.
Pronger Wasn’t Telling Hutson to Get Bigger, Just Smarter
That’s where Pronger’s comments become constructive rather than dismissive. He wasn’t telling Hutson to grow six inches. He was telling him that the path to longevity isn’t just in his hands and feet; it’s in learning how the NHL game reads him.
Pronger knows that Hutson already has the offensive instincts and talent that can’t be taught. But defensively, he sometimes chases the play instead of shaping it. He jumps into battles he doesn’t need to win. He burns energy recovering from mistakes that better positioning and thinking two chess moves ahead could prevent.
Pronger wasn’t engaging so much in criticism but describing the standard learning curve of a second-year defenseman. And, regardless of his immense talent, Hutson is a second-year defenseman.
Pronger’s Insight Is Worth Noting for the Canadiens and Hutson
And that’s what made Pronger’s take worth listening to. He recognized both sides: Hutson’s talent is real, and his pace is part of what makes him dangerous. But if the Canadiens’ talented youngster wants to become elite, he’ll need to refine that energy. Hughes and others before him learned how to keep the chaos in their pocket until there was no other choice. Hutson is in the process of figuring that out.
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For Montreal, this is more encouraging than concerning. The NHL’s heaviest hitters are already noticing Hutson—not just as a highlight machine, but as a player whose development will shape the Canadiens’ long-term trajectory. If anything, Pronger’s comments were a sign of respect. You get the feeling he wouldn’t waste his breath on a player he didn’t believe could become something significant.
Hutson will grow. He’ll adapt. And if he learns to blend his unique creativity with a little more restraint, Montreal won’t just have a fun young defenseman. They’ll have a foundational one.
