Lane Hutson Becoming A Solid Defender

Much like his comparable Quinn Hughes, Hutson started as a rookie, taking the league by storm offensively as a smaller-stature defenseman just trying to prove that he can be among the top offensive defensemen in the game. After finishing his rookie season with 6 goals and 60 assists, he was able to prove that he was among the best offensive players from the backend so quickly. With that being said, he still had a lot of doubters in his game as an all-around defenseman, given his 5’10”, 175 lb size and the fact that he barely ever got any penalty kill action in his rookie season.

There were also situations where he could get pushed off the puck in his own end while facing much bigger forwards than himself. However, this season it seems different, as, despite his size disadvantage, he can win puck battles in the corner by using his low centre of gravity to his advantage. What makes Hutson so much better this year in his own end is that he’s figured out how to defend against bigger guys by using his strength to push lower on their bodies, which can get them to stumble a bit, which allows him to scoop up the puck and stop any offensive chances from happening. He now seems to be doing this on the regular, which is why he is slowly becoming not only an elite offensive defenseman but also heading towards becoming an elite 2-way defenseman.

One thing that helps Hutson’s credibility on the defensive side of the puck is that he finally got a stable shift on the penalty kill this week with Mike Matheson being out with an upper-body injury on Tuesday and Thursday. During this time, Hutson seemed to figure out how he could be useful despite his small stature. His elite hockey IQ allows him to read the play a step or two ahead of everyone else so he can position himself to cut passes across the slot better than the average NHL defenseman. Hutson will never be the type of defenseman to win a battle with a bigger forward in front of the net, but he does have the ability to tie up his stick and make sure his opponent can’t get their stick on the puck for a tip. That’s just another way that he is doing a good job on the penalty kill.

Not to mention, with his shiftiness and speed, Hutson can also skate the puck out of harm’s way in the defensive zone to prevent scoring chances in all situations. He can also make game saving defensive plays of course which are part of the effort he puts on defense. 

Hutson never has to be the greatest defensive player on the ice to be considered a superstar defenseman; he just needs to make sure he could effectively stop the opposition in his own zone the majority of the time, which is what he has been doing a lot better than he did last year. This is normal, as at just 21 years old, he still hasn’t reached his ceiling as a defenseman and will only continue to get better over the next 4 years. Therefore, not only will we see the offence round out to possibly above a point per game, but his defensive game will as well. Hutson should be one of the most exciting NHL defensemen for the next 10-15 years. One thing is for sure: he’s not a liability defensively despite his size.

What are your thoughts on Hutson’s defensive game?