Canadiens Defenseman Matching Production of NHL's Best

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Huston has been putting up numbers that have amazed critics and have placed him among the NHL's most elite D-men. A recent statistical comparison measured his career stats alongside other NHL stars like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, and the results are shocking.

In 126 games, he has already scored 110 points with 13 goals and 97 assists. In comparison, Hughes had only 93 points (11 goals, 82 assists) at that point in his career, while Colorado star Makar had 34 goals and 88 assists. These are truly some elite stats from the young defenseman.

But the comparison becomes even more interesting when other stats are brought into the picture that are blocks in this case. Across the first 126 games of their careers, Hughes and Makar had only 87 and 112 blocks. Hutson, meanwhile, boasts an incredible 186 blocks in the same span.

This is more than double that of Hughes and considerably more than Makar. Not to mention, his +9 rating sits between Makar's sensational +39 and Hughes' -34. This puts him right between the two veteran blueliners and proves how important he has been to the Canadiens team.

Recent Dominance

This season, Hutson has pushed his scoring to even bigger heights, as with 43 points in 43 games, he already looks poised to break his career best of 66 points. His latest tally saw him score the second goal of the night for the Canadiens as Montreal demolished Calgary 4-1 to rise to the top of the Atlantic Division.

Not to mention, he has been on fire lately with 10 points in his last six games, including four multi-point efforts. His overtime winner against Dallas on Sunday marked his seventh goal of the season and first career overtime goal. It also helped Montreal get the satisfaction of beating the three-time Conference finalists.

The performance showcased exactly why scouts compare him to some of the league's best offensive defensemen. His ability to jump into the rush, create plays with the puck, and generate offense from the blue line mirrors what makes Makar and Hughes so dangerous.

Historic Pace

Hutson reached 100 career points in just 119 games, making him the 11th-fastest defenseman in NHL history to hit that milestone and the fastest ever for a Canadiens defenseman. That accomplishment came on December 20 against Pittsburgh and validated Montreal's decision to draft him 62nd overall in 2022.