“Lane Hutson is, as I speak, the best defenseman in the NHL.”

Félix Forget
“Lane Hutson is, as I speak, the best defenseman in the NHL.”
Credit: Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images

Lane Hutson is having an exceptional run with the Canadiens. The defenseman is the team's leading scorer this spring, having tallied 14 points in 14 games.

And beyond the points, it's impressive to see him make an impact in every game while consistently putting in the work on the defensive end.

As a result, Hutson has increasingly become one of the standout players since the start of the playoffs. And all of this, of course, has earned him plenty of praise.

Félix Séguin, who spoke with the guys at HFTV after the Habs' victory yesterday, even went so far as to say that right now, he considers Hutson the best defenseman in the NHL.

It's actually interesting to hear the commentator speak with a bit more candor than when he's describing games… and I don't mind that at all.

It's pretty clear, when you look at Hutson, that he's truly in a league of his own. He was sensational in the series against the Sabres, and the Habs will need him if they want to beat the Hurricanes and make it to the finals.

But the team will also need other players, including Jakub Dobes. And he, too, has earned a similar compliment, this time from Tony Marinaro on 98.5 FM:

Right now, Jakub Dobes is as good as, if not better than, anyone else. – Tony Marinaro

After 14 games, it's hard not to name Hutson and Dobes as the Habs' best players since the start of the playoffs. And throughout this run, both have shown that they are players of very, very high caliber.

Let's see if that continues in the Eastern Conference Finals now.


In a nutshell

– Speaking of Dobes.

– According to advanced stats, Arber Xhekaj, who played 1:52, was the Canadiens' second-best defenseman last night.

– That's true.

– Zachary Bolduc's father explains why his son chose #76. [98.5 Sports]

– Interesting.

– Quite a story.

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