Every year, at the NHL’s draft evaluation camp, stories out of the ordinary are talked about. Lane Hutson was one of those cases in 2022.
The defender, finally claimed by the Canadian at the end of the second round, had presented himself to the teams with medical reports stating that his growth was not over. He was 5’8″ at the time, a measurement confirmed in July at development camp.
“My parents thought it was a good idea. It’s easy to look at me and take it for granted that I should grow up. But we thought that having it in a medical file, it would help, ”said Hutson, Wednesday, in videoconference with The Press.
If the numbers provided by Boston University are valid, Hutson wasn’t lying. Seven months later, the 18-year-old (19 next week) is listed at 5ft 10in. The more jovial will wonder if he can continue like this and measure 7ft in three years, but this hypothesis has not been tested by science.
“The report predicted that I was going to be 5’10” or 5’11”, he says. I hope to keep growing, but if not, it doesn’t worry me, because once on the ice, everyone is the same size. »
The two inches may seem insignificant, but the difference in his case is significantly greater than for a 6’1″ defender who would go to 6’3″. This season in the NHL, the smallest guards are 5’9″, a group of seven players who include Torey Krug (St. Louis Blues) and Jared Spurgeon (Minnesota Wild). Eleven other defensemen are 5’10”.
Points and minutes
Anyway, Hutson weighs 155 lbs. It is therefore not with his shoulders that he will leave his mark in hockey.
Rather, he is attracting attention with outstanding offensive production this season. With 36 points in 26 games, he is the most productive defender in the American university ranks, ahead of Luke Hughes (32 points in 28 games), drafted fourth overall in 2021 by the New Jersey Devils.
With seven season games remaining, Hutson is on track to have the most successful campaign by a first-year defenseman in recent NCAA history, according to data from the College Hockey News.
The other impressive number is the minutes on the ice. This data is not collected by the NCAA, but The Press took advantage of his passage to the semifinals of the Beanpot on Monday to measure the time of use of Hutson in the duel against Northeastern. Result: 27:17, nearly halfway through the game, which ended in a 3-1 loss to the Boston University Terriers.
“It seems fair to me,” said the American. It’s usually around that, maybe it was a bit more this time around. »
Note that the Terriers found themselves down 0-2 early in the second period, which forced them to play catch-up hockey. With his ease in controlling the puck at the top of offensive territory, his talents were in demand.
In addition, Boston University has only taken two penalties, and Hutson is rarely used shorthanded. In short, the conditions were in place for a busy evening.
Even though the points and minutes are already there, Hutson has some work to do to prepare for the pro ranks. “It’s about developing my game in all aspects. Get bigger, stronger, faster,” he says, remaining noncommittal.
Defensive play is obviously one of the priorities. On Monday, Hutson and his partner, Case McCarthy, let Jakov Novak slip past the mouth of the net, which cost the Terriers a goal.
His inspirations for defensive play? “Adam Fox and Cale Makar are defending really well even though they are very offensive. Torey Krug is very good at defending with his feet and his stick, he’s super competitive and can get the puck out effectively. Otherwise, I like watching Matt Grzelcyk, because he is very fluid and in control in his territory, in addition to having good offensive instincts. »
Hutson unpacks the usual response when asked how long he sees himself in school: “I’m focusing on this year. »
In the meantime, the director of player development, Rob Ramage, ensures a regular link between the hope and the Canadian. Hutson also names Nick Bobrov (co-director of amateur recruiting) and Adam Nicholas (director of hockey development) as points of contact.
And general manager Kent Hughes met him after Monday’s game at TD Garden.
“It’s really young, it’s a 2004, recalls Hughes, met on Monday. The sense of the game, the skills, he already has them. He’s having one of the best offensive seasons by a defenseman in a long time. He just needs to progress physically and show he’s ready to play against National League men. When we see that, we’re going to want him to play for the pros. »