Lane Hutson: The Canucks had him on their “do not draft” list for 2022

Félix Forget
Lane Hutson: The Canucks had him on their “do not draft” list for 2022
Credit: Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images

In 2022, the Canadiens took a gamble with the 62nd overall pick. The team opted for a small but extremely offensively gifted defenseman.

What has become of that defenseman? He has become the Canadiens' #48, capable of creating magic in every game.

Looking back, the selection of Lane Hutson was a real turning point in the rebuild. Such a home run allowed the club to have the pieces in place for its rebuild to bear fruit.

But it's interesting to note that at the time, there were serious doubts about Hutson. And Rick Dhaliwal, who covers the Canucks, revealed a very interesting piece of information during his appearance on Canucks Talk: at one point during the 2021-22 season, the Canucks had Hutson on their “do not draft” list.

The reason? They thought he was too small.

The names placed on such a list are generally players a team does not intend to draft under any circumstances. This means that at that time, for example, Hutson likely would not have been selected by the Canucks even if he had been available at the very last pick in the draft.

The reporter seems to imply that this changed at some point, but there was a time when the Canucks wanted nothing to do with the defenseman despite his immense talent.

It's worth noting, however, that at the time, the Canucks were already banking on Quinn Hughes, another small, primarily offensive-minded defenseman. And as we saw during the last Olympics, many people doubt that a team can win with Hughes and Hutson on the same line.

Maybe not to the point of completely ruling out the possibility of drafting Hutson… especially with what we know today. But that's the benefit of hindsight, hehe.


In a nutshell

– Zachary Bolduc is ready.

– It shows.

– Enjoy the show.

– The question arises.

– Bad news in Toronto.

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