The Hockey News released its list of the Top 100 NHL players this season in April, and four Montreal Canadiens have made the list. Earlier, we covered Juraj Slafkovsky, who’s 94th on the list, Nick Suzuki, who landed in the 48th spot, Cole Caufield, who landed in 35th place, and we now look at the Habs’ highest-ranked player: Lane Hutson.
The sophomore defenseman lands in 26th place, just behind Jack Hughes, who grabs 25th place. While Hutson makes the ranking because of his incredible offensive flair, the list also mentions the young blueliner’s improved defensive play.
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Not only did Hutson put up 78 points this season, but he also finished the season with a plus-36 rating. Last year, he had recorded 66 points and ended his rookie year with a minus-two rating.
What’s really impressive in his play, though, is the way he will backcheck like a man possessed when he turns the puck over. While some players look to the heavens and lament their bad luck when they turn the puck over, Hutson immediately shifts to defense mode and looks like he’s flying on the ice. Even when he ends up behind the opponent’s net after a shot attempt, he’s still one of the first players back in the defensive zone.
His love of the game and work ethic haven’t gone down one bit in his second season. He’s always first on the ice, whether it’s for a full practice or for an optional one, and the team still needs to tell him to take a day off once in a while.
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By signing an eight-year contract at an $8.850 million cap hit, he has proven just how committed he is to this team. He accepted a contract that is cheaper than Noah Dobson’s, and the matter was settled quite quickly. Of course, he didn’t have much leverage since he wouldn’t have been eligible for an offer sheet, but there’s no doubt that he could have held out for more money. That’s not what the 22-year-old is about; he’s about playing the game he loves and winning with the team that put faith in him and drafted him despite his small stature. The 62nd overall pick at the 2022 draft has been an absolute steal on the draft floor, and he still is at that cap hit.
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