Lane Hutson plays too much (and that’s a problem)

On a team, some players play a more influential role than others.

Coaches often say that every player is important, but what they don't say is that some are more important than others.

With the Canadiens, in particular, it's easy to conclude that Nick Suzuki's role is more significant than Jake Evans's, even though the latter still plays a role of some importance.

In the same vein, Lane Hutson is obviously a more important defenseman than Jayden Struble. That goes without saying.

So it's no surprise that Lane Hutson averaged nearly 23 minutes per game during his rookie season, then nearly 24 minutes last year. And over 25 minutes in the playoffs!

But there are limits to overusing a player, no matter how good he is. Since the start of the season, Lane Hutson has averaged 27.5 minutes on the ice. Against the Penguins and the Hurricanes, it was over 29 minutes each night.

By putting a player on the ice that much during a game—and doing it again a few days later—you're taking a gamble. You increase the risk of injury (man, the Habs would be in deep s*it if Lane Hutson were to miss time), and you're setting the stage for him to be exhausted—both mentally and physically—once the playoffs begin.

Hutson may go to bed early, eat well, stay properly hydrated, always want to skate, and think about hockey 24/7, but he's still a human being with his limits.

Martin St-Louis and Stéphane Robidas will have to adjust their approach with little #48.

And if they feel their defensive corps isn't good enough to play all three pairs on a regular basis, they just need to let their GM know. It's up to Kent Hughes to bring in a defenseman to stabilize things a bit. He hasn't added a single (NHL-caliber) defenseman to his roster since signing Noah Dobson.

And we all know Montreal needs one more right-handed defenseman!

Hutson and Caufield—next up?

Every time fans at the Bell Centre boo a Habs player or the U.S. national anthem, it makes me uncomfortable. On Tuesday night, when several fans booed Chris Kreider and Kirby Dach at the Bell Centre, I immediately thought to myself: be careful what you wish for.

By constantly booing the American player who injured one of our own 10 years ago (and who still decided to come play in Quebec) or a player we don't like, we're only hurting ourselves.

According to my sources, Kent Hughes reportedly reached an agreement with the Red Wings over the summer to bring Dylan Larkin to Montreal. Why isn't Larkin a Canadiens player today? Because he doesn't want anything to do with playing in Canada.

Why? Probably because the media and fan intensity in Canadian markets is a bit too much, perhaps…

But mainly because, as a proud American, he doesn't want to go through what Connor Hellebuyck went through in Winnipeg after the Four Nations Tournament and the Olympics. When fans go so far as to attack your wife just because you're American, a line has been crossed—big time.

So when fans packed into the upper deck of the Bell Centre take pleasure in booing Chris Kreider, Kirby Dach, and the U.S. national anthem, know that this continues to drive guys like Dylan Larkin away from Montreal.

American athletes are proud people; they hate being booed during their national anthem.