MONTREAL — Lane Hutson's instant impact with the Montreal Canadiens this season didn’t surprise defenceman Kaiden Guhle — he expected it.
Guhle knew what the Canadiens had in the shifty blueliner the moment he stepped onto the ice for a brief cameo at the end of last season.
“He played two games and was one of our best players,” recalled Guhle, who was sidelined with an injury at the time.
Hutson, after signing his entry-level contract out of Boston University, flashed his awe-inspiring talent and picked up an assist in each of his first two NHL games against the Detroit Red Wings to close out the 2023-24 campaign.
A year later, the 21-year-old American played a pivotal role in Montreal’s unexpected surge into the playoffs, shattering franchise records and establishing himself as a centrepiece of the Canadiens’ youth movement, alongside Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov.
Hutson is the heavy favourite to win the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. The NHL named Hutson, Calgary's Dustin Wolf and San Jose's Macklin Celebrini as the nominees Monday.
"He’s unreal," Guhle said. "Having a guy like that in his first year making that big an impact, you don’t see that very often."
Hutson showed a game-breaking ability, pulling fans out of their seats by juking opponents in tight areas and setting up teammates with passes even they sometimes wouldn’t expect.
His 66 points (six goals, 60 assists) in 82 games broke Chris Chelios’ franchise record for most in a season by a rookie defenceman and tied for sixth among all NHL blueliners in 2024-25.
During Montreal’s 15-5-6 run after the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he racked up 25 points — trailing only Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin among defencemen — and tied for the league lead with a plus-18 rating.
All this after many questioned whether his five-foot-nine, 162-pound frame could withstand the NHL, doubts he’s familiar with silencing after slipping to 62nd overall in the 2022 draft.
"It's just fun for me," Hutson said. "I don't think too much into it."
The Washington Capitals eliminated the Canadiens in the opening round in five games last week. Hutson was targeted by the Capitals every shift, with Washington players going out of their way to try and rattle the rookie.
"There’s a huge jump in the physicality, the speed, and the pace," he said, before assessing his performance. "Room for improvement, for sure. But as I got more comfortable, I felt confident."
Hutson still led the Canadiens with five points, all assists, in five games.
Over the off-season, he wants to get faster and stronger while continuing to work on finer details of his game.
Hutson appears to eat, sleep, and breathe hockey, rarely missing a chance to skate, even on Canadiens off-days.
All season long, head coach Martin St. Louis highlighted Hutson’s competitive drive and desire to improve.
His teammates believe he’s only scratching the surface.
"He had a historic season, and he’s just going to keep getting better and better," said Suzuki. "He doesn’t stop working and trying to get better at his game."
The Canadiens can offer Hutson a long-term contract extension once the calendar flips to July 1 — a move Montreal completed a year ago with 2022 first overall pick Slafkovsky, who signed an eight-year, $60.8-million deal that kicks in next season.
Suzuki and Caufield are also locked up long term at $7.875 million and $7.85 million, respectively, through 2027-28.
Hutson hopes he's next. And with the salary cap rising, he could become the highest-paid of them all.
"It's a special place to play," he said. "Having our young core, and having all these guys who are still coming up, I think it’s only going to get younger from here. We're just excited about what the future can hold."
Speaking to reporters Monday, general manager Kent Hughes stopped short of calling Hutson’s contract a priority, because the Canadiens still have time.
Hughes noted that while Slafkovsky and Guhle signed long-term deals with a year remaining on their entry-level contracts, Caufield didn’t put pen to paper until his contract had nearly expired in June 2023.
Hutson still has a season remaining on his entry-level deal.
"We'll call his agent and we'll see," Hughes said. "It's important to communicate, to find out what’s important to Lane, and from there we’ll see if there’s an agreement to be had. With Cole, it went until the year of his contract. With Slaf and Guhle, it happened with a year left.
"You start talking and you see where it goes."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
