Lane Hutson has already done the hard part: he’s turned all the old doubts about his size into background noise. Now the Montreal Canadiens defenseman is heading into his third NHL season with the kind of track record that makes the next step feel less like a prediction and more like the obvious next scene.
The 22-year-old blue-liner was named sixth in NHL Network’s top 20 defensemen right now rankings, and it’s easy to see why. He arrived in the league with plenty of skeptics questioning whether he could handle NHL minutes, then answered by putting up 66 points as a rookie.
That total broke the Canadiens’ franchise record for points by a rookie defenseman, tied Larry Murphy for the most assists by a rookie defenseman in NHL history, and earned him the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. For Montreal, it was the first time a player had taken that honor since Ken Dryden in 1971-72.
The pushback came again before his second season. The argument was simple enough: opponents had seen him now, and they’d be ready for him.
Hutson started slowly, with his contract situation likely weighing on him, but once he signed his team-friendly eight-year deal carrying an $8.85 million AAV, the production followed. He finished the year with 78 points and doubled his goal total, going from six as a rookie to 12 in his sophomore campaign.
If the regular season was impressive, the playoffs were even more telling. In Montreal’s long postseason run, some of the club’s biggest offensive names had trouble getting on the scoresheet.
Hutson didn’t. He posted 16 points in 19 playoff games, tying captain Nick Suzuki for the team lead.
When the intensity jumped, he kept right on driving the play.
That’s why the expectation for year three is simple: more. More points, more influence, more comfort in every part of the game. He already looks like a player who only gets better as the level rises, and there’s little reason to think that trend stops now.
One thing that could help is a steadier partner. Last season, Hutson skated with four different defensemen: Kaiden Guhle in 17 games, Jayden Struble in 36, Alexandre Carrier in 18 and Noah Dobson in 11.
He has already shown he can play his off side, but a reliable right-shot partner would give him a cleaner runway and maybe unlock another gear. So far this offseason, Kent Hughes hasn’t been able to solve that part yet.
If that doesn’t happen before opening night, David Reinbacher could get a longer look at training camp. Even then, if he makes the NHL roster, the Canadiens would likely ease him in on the third pair. If Reinbacher settles there, Hutson at least gets a chance at more consistency next to him.
Even without that stability, the numbers point toward another leap. Hutson is the kind of player who appears to be aging like fine wine, and a step backward feels unlikely.
He went from minus-two in his rookie year to plus-36 last season as he settled into the NHL and became sharper defensively. That should keep trending in the right direction.
The shot numbers suggest the same thing. His shooting percentage climbed from 6.6% as a rookie to 9.7% last season, fueled by more confidence and more attempts.
He fired 124 shots in 2025-26 after 91 in 2024-25, while averaging 1.51 shots on goal in the regular season and 1.58 in the playoffs. The confidence is clearly there, and it doesn’t look close to running out.
By the end of this season, Hutson should be playing an even bigger role for Montreal, with his average ice time likely rising from the 23:46 he logged in 2025-26. If that happens, and if the scoring keeps climbing the way it has so far, he’ll have even more people convinced - and could wind up climbing from his sixth-place finish in Norris Trophy voting by the time 2026-27 is over.
In Other News...
Canadiens Still Have One Roster Question Around Xhekaj And Bolduc
Geoff Molson sounded upbeat in a recent interview about where the Canadiens stand after last season, saying he was satisfied with the teams performance and encouraged by the way the roster is developing. He also made clear that Arber Xhekaj and Zach Bolduc remain important pieces in the organizations plans, a notable point with training camp approaching and Montreal still sorting through the edges of its depth chart.
The bigger question is how both players fit once the dust settles. Xhekajs usage has not fully settled into a defined role, and Bolduc remains unsigned after finishing the playoffs on the fourth line, leaving Montreal with one of those familiar late-summer roster puzzles that can shape how a team starts the year. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Roster Puzzle Puts Some Young Pieces In Play
The Canadiens search for help on the right side of their defense has turned into a roster puzzle with real long-term stakes. With future salary-cap room to work with, the front office can afford to think beyond a quick fix, and that has kept attention on a possible move for Zach Whitecloud as Montreal looks to balance its blue line while also adding more size and physicality up front.
What makes the conversation more interesting is the kind of young talent that could be pulled into the discussion if the Canadiens decide to press ahead. Montreal has prospects it would prefer not to move lightly, but it also has to weigh the value of future flexibility against the appeal of helping the current roster now. For the moment, it is still speculation and planning more than action, but the kind of move the Canadiens are considering could reshape more than one part of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Go Only As Far As Ivan Demidov Takes Them
Montreal did not make many sweeping changes this offseason, choosing instead to tinker around the edges while letting the roster largely carry over. The most notable departures were Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno, and the additions were mostly depth pieces aimed at the AHL side, which leaves the Canadiens leaning on internal growth more than outside fixes.
Ivan Demidov is at the center of that bet after a rookie season that put him firmly on the leagues radar and left him second in Calder Trophy voting. He showed plenty of upside, but he also cooled late, and Montreals outlook now hinges on whether he can turn that promise into steadier second-year production. For a team that did not do much to change its ceiling, his next step may end up setting the tone. [Read more 🡒]