Canadiens Legend Shares High Praise for Star Defenseman

Savard, widely viewed as one of the best NHL defenseman to ever lace up a pair of skates, and having played alongside many other greats, believes that Hutson is the most talented player to don a red. white and blue jersey with the CH crest on the front since No. 10 Guy Lafleur.

Lafleur, of course, is regarded as one of the best players to ever play for the Canadiens, right up there with Maurice 'The Rocket' Richard and Jean Beliveau. Hutson just finished off a historic 66-point rookie season, that earned him the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

With year two ahead, Hutson has tremendous room to grow and improve, and the hopes are of course for him to continue taking steps, and eventually one day, after his playing days have his number in the rafters.

First he will keep his focus on helping the Canadiens develop into a contender that challenges the league's best and competes for Stanley Cups for many years. Lafleur's impact on the backend for the Canadiens would be something to marvel at, but for Hutson, he takes everything in stride. Perhaps that is what makes him so special.

Hutson is one of the most talented players under 25, and given his work ethic, that isn't likely to change.

Savard's comments are surely going to find their way to Hutson, and the veteran of 1040 games over 17 NHL seasons will likely only motivate Hutson even more. Though the humble Hutson will probably just say thank you, and praise having a strong work ethic and fantastic teammates to help him achieve the feats that he has.

Hutson may also have some competition for the title that Savard has given him, with Ivan Demidov set for his rookie season, and Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky looking to take the next step.

The Canadiens' teams of the 60s and 70s that Savard was a part of will forever be remembered as some of the best the league has ever seen, and that standard has kept the current Canadiens squad hard at work to get back to the top of the sport.