Even though we would have liked to not talk about Lane Hutson, it quickly became clear that this would not be possible.
The diminutive defenseman was the Habs’ offensive star in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the first of two duels scheduled for this weekend at the Bell Centre between the two organizations’ top prospects.
From the moment the home team was introduced, the crowd made no secret of who they were there to spy on. And they quickly confirmed it the first time Hutson took possession of the puck at the opposition blue line and served up a fake pass to an opponent. He hasn’t played his first NHL game yet—not even a real preseason game!—but the American already has tens of thousands of allies behind him.
“I can tell you that this doesn’t happen anywhere else!” he said afterwards about the arena being sold out… for a game with no stakes… played on a sunny Saturday afternoon in September. Sunday’s game will also be a sold-out event.
For two years now, Lane Hutson’s highlights have been making the rounds on social media; mostly individual plays that showcase his extraordinary skills in possession of the puck. Saturday, he made the most of his strengths, without however giving himself any real chances to score. He also pointed out, without anyone telling him, that he was still looking for his first goal in the tricolor jersey.
Where he really stood out was using his charisma with the puck to attract opponents and get the puck to teammates.
“He creates time and space for others by drawing attention to himself,” forward Owen Beck said. “It’s fun to play with players of that talent! He makes life easy for us.”
” Impressive “
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent
Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent has been saying for a few days now that he doesn’t know the players he’s coaching this week very well. After all, he only just joined the organization.
Like everyone else, he “sees what [Hutson] made on the ice.” Like everyone else, he found him “impressive.” However, what he especially remembers about him is “the energy he brings to the bench.”
I think that’s his main quality. He wants to play hockey, he’s passionate about it. game. He wants to make a difference in the important moments. And there, his skills come into play.
Pascal Vincent on Lane Hutson
He also came very close to “making the difference” in overtime, when he tried to escape twice. Without success, since Fraser Minten, of the Leafs, blocked him each time. But the two sequences allowed him to display his fighting spirit.
Throughout the game, we also saw him use his stick wisely in the defensive zone to cut plays. And he was the only scorer for his team in the shootout.
The main question about him, however, will survive this spectacular demonstration: will he be able to reproduce his magic against “real” NHL players?
“He’s going to learn it,” predicted Pascal Vincent. “Defenders like Adam Fox have this ability to learn to adjust to the pressure that comes at them. In the NHL, [les adversaires] “They’re going to be faster, bigger, more experienced, but so are your teammates. Guys are going to open up quicker, and he’s going to be able to see those options. He’s going to be a good player.”
Engström attracts attention
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Adam Engstrom
With all the attention being paid to Hutson, Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher, Adam Engström showed up to rookie camp without fanfare. The Swede, a third-round pick in 2022, is arriving in North America after two professional seasons in his native country. Well served by his vision of the game, he was simply the best player on the ice in the first period. He was also the one who scored his club’s first goal by supporting the attack.
Paired with an often shaky Reinbacher, he was less prominent in the second half of the game. He nevertheless left a strong impression in his debut in the western Atlantic. He said he was satisfied with his work in the opposing zone, but he wants to improve his game in transition. “We have less time [qu’en Europe]he noted. The guys are coming much faster. But I expected that.”
Pascal Vincent, for his part, praised a “cerebral” defender who learns “all the details” very quickly in match situations and in training. “I really liked the way he adjusted his game,” he added.
In short
- Florian Xhekaj lived up to his family name. The game wasn’t even two minutes old when he had already thrown down his gloves and was slowly making his way to the penalty box. Arber’s brother completed a trio of heavyweights with Luke Tuch and Tyler Thorpe. Unsurprisingly, this unit tried to impose itself physically, but ultimately didn’t create much. Thorpe did score a nice goal, but it was off a pass from Riley Kidney.
- Speaking of Kidney, he was leading a line with Jared Davidson and Filip Mesar. The Nova Scotian comes in with very little expectation, but he had a nice outing. Mesar did too, albeit to a lesser extent. Davidson, who had a great training camp last year, finished the game with a team-high seven shots.
- Owen Beck was at the center of the main offensive unit. Flanked by Sean Farrell and Emil Heineman, he had a quiet start to the game, but seemed to gain confidence as the game progressed, both offensively and defensively. After a strong season in the Ontario Junior League, here is someone who could quickly move up the ranks in the American League. For his part, Heineman, without being dominant, showed a lot of dynamism in possession of the puck, obtaining several scoring chances. We wonder a little what this forward who has already played four professional seasons, in Sweden then in the American League, is doing at a rookie camp…
- Without anyone really expecting it, Logan Mailloux wore a “C” on his jersey on Saturday. “It’s nice, but I’m not making a big deal out of it,” he said. Vincent also didn’t want to elaborate on the subject, but he nevertheless emphasized that he appreciated Mailloux’s mental and physical preparation since his arrival at camp.