Lane Hutson is having a first (full) season in the NHL that exceeds expectations. The defender, who has 30 points in 40 games, is already part of the elite of the Bettman circuit among offensive defenders.
Only six defensemen have more points than him this season… and above all, he is the best scorer among rookies, ahead of Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini.
In Montreal, therefore, all this means that we love the kidand with good reason. However, it also leads to interesting debates… including the one that was raised at On jase Today.
In fact, Martin Lemay, Yanick Lévesque and André Roy asked themselves the following question: if the Sharks called the CH to conclude a Celebrini/Hutson transaction, what would you do in place of Kent Hughes?
Here is the full extract:
I’ll answer the question: I don’t see a world in which the Sharks would accept such an offer. Celebrini has 28 points in 31 games this season, he is already a quality #1 center and everything seems to indicate that he has the potential to become one of the best players in the NHL in the near future.
More…
I’m not ready to say that the question is ridiculous, because in Hutson, CH also has a high quality player. A defenseman leading rookies in points at mid-season hasn’t been seen often.
Before Hutson, there was Nicklas Lidstrom and Bobby Orr… and that was it.
-Between a top offensive defenseman or an elite first center, the center will often be seen as the most important piece. Think about the Avalanche, for example: Cale Makar may be the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, but Nathan MacKinnon is still seen as the best player on that team.
Hutson and Celebrini aren’t Makar and MacKinnon (not yet, at least), but you get the point.
On the other hand, the simple fact that all this is a debate demonstrates one thing: in 2022, the CH drafted a prospect at the end of the second round who, two and a half years later, threatens to shake up its salary scale and who is placed in the same vein as the very first overall pick of the last draft… which is not exactly a stalk of celery.
The Canadian has a good one in Hutson, and even if the Sharks wouldn’t give up Celebrini to acquire him, that doesn’t change the fact that both clubs can be happy with their youngster. It’s nice to see them dominate in the NHL after they did the same as teammates in the NCAA last year.
In burst
– Sean Monahan is having a big season in Columbus.
– Speaking of offensive defenders.
– A name to remember.
