Lane Hutson’s Play Lets Canadiens Pull Trigger on Big Trade

In a recent article, Blain Potvin of The Hockey Writers highlighted the dilemma facing the Montreal Canadiens as Lane Hutson‘s emergence could make defenseman Mike Matheson expendable. With the Canadiens’ early struggles this season, sitting near the bottom of the NHL standings, GM Kent Hughes is evaluating how best to position the team for future success. One major decision is whether Matheson, a valuable veteran defenseman, with two seasons remaining on his current deal, should be moved to make room for the 20-year-old Hutson, whose offensive skill set appears NHL-ready.

The timing of the post was interesting seeing as Matheson scored his first goal of the season on Saturday.

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Is Hutson Ready to Take on More Official Responsibility?

While there is a difference between playing someone a lot because a team can afford to versus playing someone a lot because a team has to, Potvin outlines that Hutson, despite limited NHL experience is ready. He adds that the rookie is statistically comparable to Matheson, both in even-strength impacts and power-play effectiveness.

Hutson’s ability to generate high-danger scoring chances and drive the offense makes him a future star for the organization and while Matheson is more experienced and slightly better defensively, the gap isn’t as large as expected, making a trade plausible.

Matheson might not be the only player on the move out of Montreal. Potvin suggests the Canadiens’ might be ready to go full youth movement since keeping veterans hasn’t led to improved on-ice success. Valuing speed and skill over size, it’s time that players like Hutson and the rest of the elite, young talent, be handed the reins.

That could mean David Savard becomes a trade target with both Savard and Matheson finding new homes ahead of the deadline.

Ultimately, Hughes can afford to be patient as he’ll want to sell when teams are ready to buy on his blueliners. All the while, Hutson continues to prove himself, and show that the Canadiens can move on without worry the youngster can handle the extra responsibility.

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