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Eric Engels already sees Lane Hutson as the next captain of the Canadiens

 David Miller
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Eric Engels already sees Lane Hutson as the next captain of the Canadiens
Credit: Getty Images

Nick Suzuki is the Canadiens’ captain, and his job doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy. He’s the most complete player on the team and seems to be a unifier, without being very extroverted.

The next captain debate isn’t something we’re really thinking about, except that Eric Engels already has his own idea of the next Habs leader.

Appearing on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast on Monday evening, Engels was full of praise for defenseman Lane Hutson. This is the player he sees wearing a “C” on his jersey in the future.

It’s only a suggestion, however. Engels didn’t go out of his way to say that Suzuki should rip the “C” off his jersey tomorrow morning and give it to Hutson, far from it.

What Engels is saying is that the Habs’ young defenseman is showing great qualities in his game. He plays with discipline, unlike many other players who possess his talent and play the same style as he does.

It’s useful to make little dekes to outwit opponents, but in just 18 NHL games, Hutson has already shown he understands that this strategy isn’t always the answer. He makes intelligent choices.

It’s a bit odd, though, to see Engels talking about Hutson as a potential captain when the youngster has only 18 NHL games under his belt. We agree that he’s heading in the right direction, but you have to be careful about what you expect from a rookie.

However, Engels found an excellent sequence to demonstrate the intelligence of Hutson’s game.

In Monday’s game against the Sabres, Hutson helped the Canadiens keep the puck in the opposition zone and used his vision to spot Emil Heineman, who was in an excellent position to unleash a dangerous shot.

He didn’t need any lacework, nor did he need to outwit three players to do it. The defenseman was just smart on the sequence, which allowed the Habs to score an important goal.

We can’t expect Lane Hutson to become the Canadiens’ captain in the next few seasons, but the young defenseman is proving that he has what it takes to be a leader on the ice.


Overtime

– The Canadiens aren’t ready.

– Two guys who like each other.

– Losses teach lessons.

– Another charge for him.

This content was created with the help of AI.

This content was created with the help of AI.

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