“As long as Lane Hutson is in Montreal, the Habs will be a contender for the Cup.”

Michaël Petit
“As long as Lane Hutson is in Montreal, the Habs will be a contender for the Cup.”
Credit: Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images

Lane Hutson has been turning heads throughout the NHL since his very first game.

The young defenseman is simply exceptional, and in his second NHL season, he came very close to reaching the 80-point mark for the season.

With the puck, he's simply incredible, but even without it, the small defenseman performs very well. He's so smart and such a good skater that he's always well-positioned to intercept passes or read the play.

Let's just say he's the Montreal Canadiens' best defenseman right now. But can we go so far as to say he's the best player on the entire team?

Matthew Ohayon, who was a guest on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (hosted by Shayne Gaumond), believes that's the case—and by a wide margin.

Not only does he think so, but he also believes that as long as Hutson remains a member of the Habs, Montreal will be a Stanley Cup contender.

Without taking anything away from Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov, Hutson is simply on another level. Seeing him dominate like this at such a young age is impressive.

According to Ohayon, Hutson will be a Habs player for the rest of his career, and honestly, it's easy to believe that.

Clearly, he's in love with the city and adores hockey. Let's just say he's in the perfect place.

The fact that he's always on the ice practicing or playing hockey, no matter the time of year, proves that he's always striving to get better—and it's that kind of mindset that takes you far in life.

Of course, hockey is a team sport, and one player doesn't make a team. However, the fact that no one has a real idea of his full potential speaks volumes about the player.

What's more, we know he'll always be surrounded by a strong core of players signed to long-term (and low-cost) contracts.

He could easily win several Norris Trophies over the course of his career, which has only just begun. In fact, he finished sixth in the Norris Trophy voting and received three first-place votes, while finishing ahead of Quinn Hughes in that race.

Clearly, Hutson is an exceptional defenseman, and the Habs are very happy to have him on their roster.


In a Nutshell

– In the end, the Canadiens scored four goals in the third period to advance to the championship game. They'll face the Americans tomorrow.

– The 19-year-old Brazilian sensation is already making friends in Montreal.

– Now that's a happy guy.

– Indeed.

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