Since his selection by the Canadiens in the 2022 draft, Lane Hutson has been eagerly awaited in Montreal.
And while many analysts have tried to lower expectations for the young defenseman ahead of his first season, Hutson proves game after game that his level of play in the college ranks translates well to the NHL.
After collecting seven points in his first 14 games – a performance that could be described as very encouraging for a rookie defenseman – Hutson has increased the pace brilliantly for 19 games with a harvest of 18 points.
Over the past few weeks, Hutson has taken over as the power play quarterback, scored the first goal of his NHL career and had a seven-game point streak, setting a new mark for a first-year defender with the Habs.
With 49 games still to play, what targets can he still aim for to conclude his first year?
If he maintains his current pace of 25 points in 33 games, Hutson would be headed for a 62-point season.
This would be the seventh best haul by a rookie guard in NHL history, and the best since Quinn Hughes' 53 points in 2019-2020. The latter, however, achieved the feat in only 68 duels.
No rookie defenseman has reached the 60-point plateau since Nicklas Lidstrom in 1991-1992.
A total of 62 points would also be the sixth best by a Montreal Canadiens rookie, forwards and defensemen included. Chris Chelios was the Canadiens' best rookie defenseman with 64 points in 1984-85.
And to add the icing on the sundaeHutson can still hope to win the Calder Trophy. He is currently at the height of the race alongside Matvei Michkov (27 points in 32 games) and Macklin Celebrini (23 points in 24 games).
The last defenseman to score 50 points in his rookie year, Moritz Seider, won the Calder Trophy in 2022. In 2020, Cale Makar won the honor over Hughes, who finished second in voting. Makar had collected 50 points in 57 duels.
Hutson could thus become the seventh player in Canadiens history to win the Calder, but the first since… Ken Dryden, in 1972.
Hutson also has every reason to believe that he can keep up the pace. He helped energize the Canadiens' power play and since Patrik Laine joined the lineup, he has 10 points in nine games, including seven points on the power play.
