When you think of Lane Hutson, you think of a top Habs prospect. But above all, we think of a defenseman who should finish the current season in the Canadiens’ colors.
But what if it’s more complicated than that?
To hear Dany Dubé and Martin McGuire talk about it yesterday during the Habs’ game in Denver on 98.5 Sports, the situation wouldn’t be so simple.
But now things are getting complicated. We thought it was simple, but it’s not. – Martin McGuire
Obviously, at the moment, the defender has to finish his season in the NCAA. It could be a few more weeks before he’s eliminated, given that he’s playing with a big club in Boston.
Until then, Kent Hughes has no right to negotiate with the man who seems to like belonging to the Montreal Canadiens.
But how hard will it be to convince him to sign an entry-level contract down the road? Just how difficult will it be?
If you listen to Dany Dubé, who has his ear to the ground, he sounds worried.
In the clip in question, McGuire is heard asking Dubé if it’s just a formality to see him sign, and it’s here that we sense the doubts of the man who analyzes Habs games on the radio.
Is he, as the describer says, looking over the fence?
Maybe he’s getting an earful.
What I’ve heard is that there’s a lot going on around here. If, at the end of the season, he doesn’t get an offer from the Habs (…) maybe he’ll finish university and look at his options. – Dany Dubé
Remember that a university student can normally become a free agent if he doesn’t sign after four years – and sometimes less. Hutson was drafted two years ago.
But Dubé has obviously been talking to people who have told him that “it’s a rush to get him to play in Montreal” once his season in Boston is over.
The way things are going, I’d be really, really surprised if the Habs didn’t offer him a contract at the end of his season to come to Montreal. Kent Hughes did it with Jordan Harris and Sean Farrell: it’ll probably be the same with Hutson, right?
It’s such a long-established fact that Dubé’s comments make me wonder: is there a big hidden element in this? Was there any truth to Hutson’s statement that he was in no hurry to sign for Montreal?
Recall that it was likely because the Flyers didn’t want to bring him to the NHL right away that Cutter Gauthier refused to sign with the Pennsylvania club. Does the Habs face a similar situation with Lane Hutson?
I don’t think so, but Dubé’s doubts make us wonder.
In gusto
– News from the Rocket.
– What do you think?
– Quentin Miller: QMJHL Goalie of the Month for March.
– Kim Clavel prepares for April 4. [BPM Sports]
– Winning feels good.
More must-reads: