Lane Hutson believes he still has a long way to go at Boston University

Over the past few days, there’s been a lot of talk (and rightly so) about David Reinbacher, the organization’s next great right-handed defenseman. While many fans aren’t sold on the youngster, management loves him and he’s a big part of the team’s long-term plans.

In a few years, the defense will be very scary. With Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle on the left and Logan Mailloux and Reinbacher on the right, the top-4 is really talented.

But let’s talk about the best blue-line prospect, Lane Hutson. Remember that the reason he was ignored by every team drafting in the first round was because of his physique. In his draft year, he was 5’8″. But since then, he’s put on a few inches, which is good news.

As for his future, playing professionally as early as next season has crossed his mind, but the 19-year-old left-hander believes he still has things to accomplish at Boston University. He wants to take advantage of what may be his last year of university to become faster and physically stronger, things that will be very useful to him in a league like the NHL.

How does the Habs feel about this plan? They look favorably on their prospect’s chances of winning next year with Boston. All indications are that Hutson won’t be making it to the NHL or the AHL this year, but that’s not bad news. As we’ve often said, the NHL is not a development league, and we don’t want to burn the youngster.

That’s what we learned from an interview between Marc-Antoine Godin and the young man.

This summer, his primary goal will be to gain weight, as he currently stands at 148 lbs (according to Hockey DB). But according to Marc-Antoine Godin, who met the youngster, he’ll be attending the Canadiens’ development camp at around 163-164 lbs. This would put him closer to NHL standards for the weight of an NHL defenseman.

The defenseman took almost no time for himself after the World Championship in Europe. He trains hard on the ice, but his primary objective is really to gain muscle mass.

In addition to his weight, Hutson talked about his disappointing end to the season.

After smashing it all in university, his World Championship started well and he had a few good flashes, but by the end of the tournament, he – according to many – looked bad on a few decisive games. At the same time, it’s understandable. The guy had a busy year and in Europe, he played with and against players much older than him.

The man himself doesn’t mind, however. Yes, Huston knows he hasn’t been up to scratch on these games, but he’s keen to point out that sometimes we forget that other teams make great games. One aspect of his game he wants to work on is being more active with his stick in the defensive zone.

If his defensive game is sometimes a question mark, Hutson believes he has improved… According to him, he has simplified the game and that has enabled him to be more consistent. He plays smarter.

I can’t wait to see him in Montreal, but in the short term, he’ll stay at university. If his team gets knocked out early, maybe we’ll see him in Montreal to finish the season?

Breaking news

– Development in the file.

– Really?

– Normal.

– All the better.

– To be continued.

Pacioretty says it shouldn’t be too long after the start of the season before he’s ready.

– Sammi Silber 🏒 (@sammisilber) July 1, 2023