Now that the 2024-25 season is over, it’s time to reflect on what went on this year for the Montreal Canadiens, what went wrong, what went right, and how each member of the organization contributed. We’ve already looked at Kent Hughes’ year and the goaltenders', and we now turn to the blueline, starting with rookie wonder Lane Hutson.
Before the start of the season, I wrote that talk of Hutson winning the Calder was both premature and unnecessary since the youngster already had plenty of pressure. While I was right, the talk was premature, the 21-year-old showed us all that he’s immune to pressure.
Bursting on the biggest stage under the Montreal magnifying glass, the rearguard quickly climbed the Canadiens’ depth chart. He went from spending 18:22 on the ice in his first game to skating for over 22 minutes regularly, even logging over 30 minutes in his fifth career game.
Martin St-Louis started him on the second power play unit but quickly forced the coach to promote him to the first unit. While naysayers predicted he would hit a wall midway through the season, because he wasn’t used to playing as many games, he didn’t. If there was a wall, he went through it like a wrecking ball, not even resting when the team scheduled optional skates.
He stayed productive throughout the year; his most extended dry spell was a five-game pointless streak, which is remarkable for a rookie defenseman. Even more impressive was that he led the league’s rookie scoring race from start to finish. In 82 games, he recorded 66 points, 60 of which were assists, which tied a record for a rookie defenseman set by Larry Murphy in 1980-81.
His 66 points were also a franchise record for a rookie defenseman, beating the 64-point mark set by Chris Chelios in 1984-85. His season highlights include many spectacular plays. He’s proven to be a master at evading hits and can dance around the best defenders, “breaking several ankles” in the process (figuratively speaking, of course).
His dedication to the defensive side of the game is also impressive; the youngster wants to be the best player on the ice and not just at one end. When the game is on the line, he wants to be the guy who has the puck and can pull off the win for his team. When he makes a mistake, he takes the criticisms on board and moves on; it doesn’t linger on his mind, and he never plays scared to make a mistake. In a market like Montreal, this is an excellent quality.
This is the easiest note to give: For his formidable rookie season, Hutson fully deserves an A+. He was third overall in points on the team and seventh overall in points amongst all defensemen in the league. If the future is bright in Montreal, there’s a good chance that Hutson will be the sun that prompts people to get their shades out in town.
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