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Canadiens Player Grades: Hutson Is The Rising Tide
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- Canadiens Player Grades: Hutson Is The Rising Tide
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Montreal Canadiens knew they had a special player in Lane Hutson from the very moment he took to the ice for the final two games of the 2023-24 season.
Beyond registering an assist in both matchups, it was clear that his ability to walk the blue line, not to mention his affinity for creating passing and shooting lanes, would translate nicely from the NCAA.
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With a well-deserved Calder Trophy in his pocket following his impressive rookie campaign, which saw him score six goals and 60 assists in 82 games, there were some who questioned whether he Hutson would be able to bring his game to a new level.
After all, quickly surging near the top of every best defenceman list means there's a risk that a young blue liner may regress.
But that's not the Hutson way.
The highly skilled defenceman improved upon his production in 2025-26, scoring 12 goals and 66 assists, while also dealing with an uptick in ice time.
Despite spending more time on the ice, Hutson enjoyed an uptick in scoring per 60 in all three statistical categories (5v5), a testament to his ability and obsession with constantly finding new ways to help the Montreal Canadiens win games.
Hutson Usage
Seeing as he's one of the best defencemen in the league, head coach Martin St-Louis used Hutson roughly 24 minutes per night, including over 18 minutes per night at 5v5. He was paired with several different blueliners, but his most common partner was Jayden Struble, with Alexandre Carrier and Kaiden Guhle in tow.
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Regardless of who Hutson played with, there was one recurring theme: they controlled more pucks when they played with No. 48.
And the only defenceman who truly had a considerable positive impact on Hutson's shot control was Noah Dobson. Together, the two controlled over 56% of the shots. Apart, Hutson's share dropped to 52%, however, Dobson's collapsed to 45%.
Any way you cut it, Hutson makes a positive impact on all his defensive partners.
Underlying Numbers (5v5)
Even though the Habs are far from analytical darlings, Hutson continues to maintain fantastic statistics. He improved his shot share (CF%), high-danger shot share (HDCF%), expected goals, and actual goals this season.
It's also worth noting that Hutson had excellent results in situations that are traditionally very difficult for the Habs. Montreal's shot share was just 48.6%, their high-danger shot share was a paltry 46.4%, and their expected goal share was a lowly 48.6%
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In other words, when Hutson is on the ice, the Canadiens produce elite numbers, but whenever he's not on the ice, their statistics are the epitome of underwhelming.
Hutson is the tide that raises all Habs boats.
Hutson Player Grade
Without hesitation, we're going to hand out our third A+ of the offseason, which means Hutson joins captain Nick Suzuki and sniper Cole Caufield as the only Canadiens players to achieve the best possible grade.
We can go on for days about his impressive impact, his dedication to the cause, his affinity for improving everyone around him, or his obsession with winning, but they all pale in comparison with watching the phenom at work.
Simply put, when the Canadiens need someone to step up their game, Hutson always delivers.
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Take the playoffs, for example.
While some of the top players struggled, as opponents focused on shutting them down, Hutson still managed to lead the Canadiens in scoring, tied with Suzuki, to the tune of 16 points in 19 games.
Any way you cut it, regardless of the situation, or the opponent, or the score, the Habs can count on Lane Hutson.
Lane Hutson Grade : A+ (90-100 %)
Montreal Canadiens and Lane Hutson statistics via Natural Stat Trick .
Previously published Canadiens player grades:
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