LD Lane Hutson - Boston University, NCAA (2022, 62nd, MTL)

[Kudo Shinichi]

With that kind of insane skating and vision, he should be seriously looked at as a winger rather that then a failed career as a defenseman.

How many 5'8 165 pounds forwards are there?
He's at a massive disadvantage in both cases. He has better chances of making it by playing the position he's played his whole life, than by learning a new position.

 

[HabsAddict]

How many 5'8 165 pounds forwards are there?
He's at a massive disadvantage in both cases. He has better chances of making it by playing the position he's played his whole life, than by learning a new position.

We got one of those....Caufield

Hutson is even better then Caufield in vision and skating.

I just don't see much of a career in a 165 pound defenseman.

 

[ijuka]

My father was 5'6" and 180 lbs. Barrel chested, wore 44 jacket, very strong. Farm boy hauling olive bags tend to create that kind of body. (I'm a 4 inch and 40 pound bigger version of him.)

Bullion was built like that. 5'8" and 198.

The problem with Hutson is that he's short, he's also average build. This isn't going to change much in his life. At best, he's going to top out at maybe 165-170 pounds. You can only add so much muscle in a given frame.

With that kind of insane skating and vision, he should be seriously looked at as a winger rather that then a failed career as a defenseman.

Uh... if he's 160 lbs at 18 years of age, how is 170 his max? He'll probably get past 170 even without doing any gym. Add gym training and he should gain quite a bit more. And you don't have to play at 6% body fat, actually for a smaller player like him he could easily aim higher, like 12%.

 

[HabsAddict]

Uh... if he's 160 lbs at 18 years of age, how is 170 his max? He'll probably get past 170 even without doing any gym. Add gym training and he should gain quite a bit more. And you don't have to play at 6% body fat, actually for a smaller player like him he could easily aim higher, like 12%.

From his pictures, he has a slight build. If he does get to 180, great.

Let's see....

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

I'm more impressed by him than Slaf. This kid is crazy good

Me too, he's the most talented that the Habs drafted.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Just stats, but in same age and same leagues... he have better stats than Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox.

Quinn Hughes:

USDP: 122 games, 17 goals, 60 assists, 77 points, 0,63ppg.
USHL: 60 games, 8 goals, 29 assists, 37 points, 0,62ppg.

Adam Fox:

USDP: 118 games, 13 goals, 73 assists, 86 points, 0,73ppg.
USHL: 59 gamres, 8 goals, 31 assists, 39 points, 0,66 ppg.

Lane Hutson:

USDP: 109 games, 15 goals, 75 assists, 90 points, 0,83ppg.
USHL: 54 games, 9 goals, 37 assists, 46 points, 0,85ppg.

 

[Lavar Ball]

Just stats, but in same age and same leagues... he have better stats than Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox.

Quinn Hughes:

USDP: 122 games, 17 goals, 60 assists, 77 points, 0,63ppg.
USHL: 60 games, 8 goals, 29 assists, 37 points, 0,62ppg.

Adam Fox:

USDP: 118 games, 13 goals, 73 assists, 86 points, 0,73ppg.
USHL: 59 gamres, 8 goals, 31 assists, 39 points, 0,66 ppg.

Lane Hutson:

USDP: 109 games, 15 goals, 75 assists, 90 points, 0,83ppg.
USHL: 54 games, 9 goals, 37 assists, 46 points, 0,85ppg.

The production at these levels has never been a question, it's simply whether or not he can overcome his size and translate his skills to the next level with a bigger and much more physical game

 

[Wats]

The production at these levels has never been a question, it's simply whether or not he can overcome his size and translate his skills to the next level with a bigger and much more physical game

Will be interesting to see. I think Caufield had same question marks and his play in NCAA showed they may be overstated. Hopefully Hutson follows suit and lights it up.

 

[AD1066]

The production at these levels has never been a question, it's simply whether or not he can overcome his size and translate his skills to the next level with a bigger and much more physical game

Even so, I'm surprised it took over 60 picks for a team to gamble on him. Plenty of guys drafted in the 2nd aren't going to amount to anything, so might as well swing for the fences on a first round talent.

 

[Wats]

Even so, I'm surprised it took over 60 picks for a team to gamble on him. Plenty of guys drafted in the 2nd aren't going to amount to anything, so might as well swing for the fences on a first round talent.

Mailloux still being a 1st rounder and him falling says something about the hockey world.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Mailloux still being a 1st rounder and him falling says something about the hockey world.

If you have skill and size teams like you more than a player with just skill ?

 

[Wats]

If you have skill and size teams like you more than a player with just skill ?

I hope teams will take a brain into consideration too.

 

[waitin425]

This kid needs 2 inches and 20 lbs. Will be unreal if that happens!

 

[Peasy]

Will be interesting to see. I think Caufield had same question marks and his play in NCAA showed they may be overstated. Hopefully Hutson follows suit and lights it up.

Theres been plenty of smaller forwards in the NHL. That is nothing new, it is just more difficult to make it.

Whens the last time there was a 5'8 D man with a long NHL career. Its not like hes 5'8, 185lbs, he has a really slight build. If you can't defend at all in the NHL as a D man youre not going to make it. Youll have a great career in the AHL or somewhere in Europe though.

 

[Wats]

Theres been plenty of smaller forwards in the NHL. That is nothing new, it is just more difficult to make it.

Whens the last time there was a 5'8 D man with a long NHL career. Its not like hes 5'8, 185lbs, he has a really slight build. If you can't defend at all in the NHL as a D man youre not going to make it. Youll have a great career in the AHL or somewhere in Europe though.

I'd hope he can still grow a little but it's not that crazy: Spurgeon, Girard, Krug, Grzelck

If he grows an inch and adds some muscle he'd be in that group of undersized D.

 

[ijuka]

Theres been plenty of smaller forwards in the NHL. That is nothing new, it is just more difficult to make it.

Whens the last time there was a 5'8 D man with a long NHL career. Its not like hes 5'8, 185lbs, he has a really slight build. If you can't defend at all in the NHL as a D man youre not going to make it. Youll have a great career in the AHL or somewhere in Europe though.

Jared Spurgeon is listed at 5'9" 165 lbs. Hutson 5'8" 159 lbs. Really, we could assume that Hutson's skill advantage makes up for the minor size difference.

And you don't need size to defend, necessarily. There's other things for a defenseman to do than engage physically. But I guess when a player like Gudbranson gets 4mil contracts, it's a pretty widely spread view that defense is all about whacking guys with a crosscheck in front of the net.

 

[Peasy]

Jared Spurgeon is listed at 5'9" 165 lbs. Hutson 5'8" 159 lbs. Really, we could assume that Hutson's skill advantage makes up for the minor size difference.

And you don't need size to defend, necessarily. There's other things for a defenseman to do than engage physically. But I guess when a player like Gudbranson gets 4mil contracts, it's a pretty widely spread view that defense is all about whacking guys with a crosscheck in front of the net.

Yeah and Spurgeon is known for being a good defender. Hutson is not. Its an area in his game he will really have to work on if he wants to make it.

 

[beowulf]

If only he was 5'11" like his older brother, he would have gone in the first round.

 

[ijuka]

Yeah and Spurgeon is known for being a good defender. Hutson is not. Its an area in his game he will really have to work on if he wants to make it.

Yes, but being a good defender is also not a necessity. There are plenty of defensemen in NHL who get by with offense, almost exclusively. Just because Spurgeon is more defensively orientated doesn't mean that every defenseman of that size has to be. In fact, being more offensively focused should be easier when smaller.

 

[Peasy]

Yes, but being a good defender is also not a necessity. There are plenty of defensemen in NHL who get by with offense, almost exclusively. Just because Spurgeon is more defensively orientated doesn't mean that every defenseman of that size has to be. In fact, being more offensively focused should be easier when smaller.

Yeah I don't agree with that. No coach is going to want to play a player that can't defend at all. Hutson had complete free range to do whatever he wanted last year. This is not going to be the case going forward for his career. Maybe he can become a DeAngelo, but those are a rarity in this league.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Yes, but being a good defender is also not a necessity. There are plenty of defensemen in NHL who get by with offense, almost exclusively. Just because Spurgeon is more defensively orientated doesn't mean that every defenseman of that size has to be. In fact, being more offensively focused should be easier when smaller.

Shayne Gostisbehere would disagree. There is no competitive NHL team that would employ him despite being an elite offensive defenseman.

 

[ijuka]

Yeah I don't agree with that. No coach is going to want to play a player that can't defend at all. Hutson had complete free range to do whatever he wanted last year. This is not going to be the case going forward for his career. Maybe he can become a DeAngelo, but those are a rarity in this league.

I don't agree that Hutson "can't defend at all".

 

[majormajor]

Even so, I'm surprised it took over 60 picks for a team to gamble on him. Plenty of guys drafted in the 2nd aren't going to amount to anything, so might as well swing for the fences on a first round talent.

I can see it both ways. A lot of clubs would look at Hutson and see a guy that has a decent chance to carve out a Girard type career, they just don't see much chance of him topping that, and they don't particular want to build their D core with type of player. So in that telling Hutson isn't really boom/bust, not a huge swing.

 

[jfhabs]

I can see it both ways. A lot of clubs would look at Hutson and see a guy that has a decent chance to carve out a Girard type career, they just don't see much chance of him topping that, and they don't particular want to build their D core with type of player. So in that telling Hutson isn't really boom/bust, not a huge swing.

What about Q. Hughes?

 

[Andrei79]

If only he was 5'11" like his older brother, he would have gone in the first round.

His brother grew to 5'11 between the ages of 19 and 20. There's still hope damnit !