Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson receives heaping praise from Patrick Roy
Montreal Canadiens fans were already well aware, but now the rest of the hockey world is realizing how special Lane Hutson is.
Despite being very undersized for an NHL defenceman at just 5-foot-9, Hutson has made a positive impact immediately in his rookie season with the Canadiens thanks to his elusive skating and offensive awareness. With four points through five games, he’s quickly making a name for himself, even amongst some of the greatest to ever play in the NHL.
The Habs are set to take on the New York Islanders in a short time, and many were asked about their thoughts on Hutson. While the young defenceman received plenty of praise, the comments that stood out were from Islanders head coach and three-time Vezina Trophy winner Patrick Roy.
“He played 30 minutes the other night. I witnessed something similar with Cale Makar in Colorado,” Roy said. “These guys are offensively minded, move the puck very well, who are dangerous offensively 1-on-1 and skate well on the blue line. We’ll have to pay close attention to him tonight. The forward defending him better be ready because he moves really well.”
Islanders forward Anthony Duclair also mentioned Makar, highly regarded as the NHL’s best defenceman, when speaking about Hutson.
“We’re gonna give him the same attention that we gave Cale Makar a few days ago in Colorado,” Duclair said.
Hutson isn’t new to receiving praise from those around the league. Less than a week ago, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby marvelled at how impressed he was by the 20-year-old.
“I skated with him last summer, actually. I’ve seen a couple of clips. He looks pretty comfortable,” Crosby told reporters. “He’s a great skater, holds onto the puck, makes so many plays. He looks like he’s really confident out there… he looks really good.”
Though Hutson still has a ways to go before reaching Makar status, comments like this from opposing players and coaches show just how much potential he has.
While there are sure to be some speedbumps throughout his development, the Habs appear to have a legitimate number-one defenceman in the making.
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