Canadiens Prospects Feature Prominently On Team USA Roster

Phenom Lane Hutson, who turned 19 in February, will be the youngest player on the team. Hutson is fresh off an excellent rookie season with the Boston University Terriers (NCAA), a campaign that led to numerous awards and accolades for the 2022 second-round pick.

The high-flying defenceman finished seventh in scoring last season and was tied with Luke Hughes for the most points among defencemen. However, Hutson found the back of the net with more regularity, finishing the year with 15 goals and 33 assists in 39 games, whereas Hughes had 10 goals and 38 assists in the same number of games.

Hutson is the most talented player in the defensive group, though we shouldn’t expect him to play a prominent role, at least not to start the tournament.

Both Nick Perbix and Dylan Samberg have more experience, and the team is likely to rely on them to log heavy minutes.

But given Hutson’s track record of exceeding all expectations, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he eventually makes his way to the top pair. In the meantime, he can focus on being a part of a cohesive unit rather than the player who is driving all the offence, which was often the case with the Terriers.

He’ll also face an elevated level of competition. It’s the type of experience that will serve him well when he eventually makes the jump to professional hockey.

Farrell & Tuch

For Farrell, joining Team USA is a familiar scenario, seeing as he represented the USA at the U-17s and U-18s, as well as the 2022 Olympic Games in Bejing, where he led the team in scoring with three goals and three assists in four games. He also participated in the 2022 World Championships, finishing the tournament with two goals and four assists in 10 games.

The 2023 World Championships will the forward an opportunity to stand out from the crowd, which could influence which team he ends up playing with next season, the Canadiens or the Laval Rocket.

As for Tuch, he’s not expected to play a significant role on the team, but his nomination to the team should serve as a confidence booster for the 21-year-old forward.

Tuch plays alongside Hutson with the Terriers, though you’d be hard-pressed to argue they’ve experienced the same type of development in Boston.

While Hutson has flourished, Tuch has struggled to produce at a rate that would lead analysts to believe he has NHL potential, though it should be noted he improved his scoring rate from 0.38 points per game last season to 0.5 points per game this year.

However, Tuch, who serves as an alternate captain for Boston University, has not run out of developmental runway. The Canadiens must sign Tuch by August 15, 2024, or they’ll relinquish his rights.

That leaves Tuch with one more year at Boston University to prove his worth, and a strong showing at the 2023 World Championships is exactly the perfect experience to prepare him for his crucial, final season in the NCAA.

NCAA statistics via College Hockey News.