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What's the holdup? Canadiens fans eagerly await Hutson signing

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Apr 12 2024, 5:37 pm
What's the holdup? Canadiens fans eagerly await Hutson signing
Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens fans have been waiting all year to see if star prospect Lane Hutson would be making the jump from college hockey to the NHL this year.

With Hutson’s Boston University Terriers side getting bounced in overtime of the Frozen Four NCAA national semifinal on Thursday evening, Canadiens fans have been watching intently to see if Hutson will get the call-up to the big leagues for the final few games of the 2023-24 regular season.

It has long been suggested that Hutson could make his debut with the Canadiens following the end of his NCAA season after signing an entry-level deal with Montreal.

But as of Friday afternoon, that signing still hadn’t happened yet, much to the dismay of the Habs faithful.

Hutson, who was originally taken by Montreal in the second round of the 2022 Draft (62nd overall), has been tabbed as one of the Canadiens’ top prospects yet to make his pro debut.

A Hobey Baker award finalist, Hutson has been dominating the NCAA with the Terriers for the past two seasons. Coming off a campaign that saw him net 15 goals and 49 points over 38 games, along with a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 World Juniors, the Michigan native appears NHL-ready.

And Canadiens fans definitely had all sorts of social media reactions to waiting out Hutson’s deal, sharing their impatience while anticipating the official news coming across their timelines:

 

With just 73 points through 79 games this season, Hutson wouldn’t exactly be joining a team gearing up for a playoff run. The Canadiens have three games left in the regular season: Saturday and Monday on the road against Ottawa and Detroit, before returning to the Bell Centre on Tuesday for the team’s final home date of the 2023-24 campaign.

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