Lane Hutson: not signed because of the Panthers?

The Panthers may have changed many a team's mind by winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, but they did so in a very specific way: by having a big defense with mobile defensemen who can also hit. There were no defensemen under six feet tall in the Florida lineup on either occasion, and we saw the results. And today… it's harder in the NHL for defensemen under six feet tall. The Chicago Blackhawks granted a professional tryout (PTO) to Matt Grzelcyk, a 5'10 defenseman who scored… he could have been expected to land a contract this summer, given his production last season. 40 points for a defenseman is nothing to sneeze at…

Tell you how hard it is to be a defenseman under 5'11 in the NHL: Matt Grzelcyk just accepted a professional tryout after scoring 40 points.

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Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) September 16, 2025

But in all of this, there may also be a link to be made with the Canadiens… and Lane Hutson's contract. We know, after all, that the defenseman would have liked to settle his contractual situation this summer and that it hasn't been done yet. That said, it makes you wonder if the Panthers' success with their big defensemen has anything to do with the way the Canadiens see things. At 5'9, Lane Hutson isn't the biggest guy on the ice – even though he's insanely talented offensively – and to see a team win the Stanley Cup two years in a row with a huge defense like the Panthers', that may have some impact.

The defenseman also mentioned that he's proud to be an American and wants to play for the U.S. → https://t.co/Lx31Mbav2W

– DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) September 15, 2025

Because in reality, all the NHL clubs really seem to have taken notes on team building in Florida. It's easy to realize this when you look at the latest draft: 30 players out of the 224 selected this year are under six feet tall… and among those 30 players, there are no defensemen.None.But there, mind you. I'm not saying that the Canadiens don't like Lane Hutson and that he won't be playing in Montreal for a long time, but it's relevant to ask whether all this (the Panthers' success and Lane's size) has a role to play right now in the discussions between the two sides and how Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton see the state of play.

'Overtime'

– Can't wait to see this.

Pressure is on Auston Matthews to lead Maple Leafs to the promised land, from @simmonsstevehttps://t.co/DGsUXGePJs pic.twitter.com/48lGLuoJGR

– Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) September 16, 2025

– News from CF Montreal:

The #CFMTL is currently playing an 11 v. 11 game on small space.

Owen Graham-Roache is the 23rd player and instead of sitting on the side like others, he's practicing directed checks with Maxime Leconte.

I've been to about 80% of the practices not behind closed doors in… pic.twitter.com/1lx4kFBQrb– Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) September 16, 2025

– L'Armada au top.

The CHL top 10 rankings heading into the season. pic.twitter.com/pJJuLTQEwA

– Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) September 16, 2025

– Well done.

Zach Werenski has a new logo on his stick, as he continues to honor Johnny Gaudreau.

A 1 and a 3 combine to make an 8, blending both Weresnki and Gaudreau's jersey numbers, with wings on both sides. pic.twitter.com/w5ogjZPM1W– B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) September 16, 2025

– That goes without saying.

Let's just say, at the time, he didn't look like a good person. https://t.co/a0fD2dluZt –

Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) September 16, 2025