Draft steal: Hughes would have acquired another top 3 overall talent in the draft with the acquisition of young Lane Hutson

Even though the Canadiens have several good young defensemen in their prospect pool, few of them can boast as much offensive talent as Lane Hutson.

Selected in the second round by the Montreal organization in 2022, the small American defenseman has already caught many eyes since his selection, and many Canadiens fans dream of the day when he will wear the tricolor jersey.

However, it will not be for the 2023-2024 season as the young man will continue his development with Boston University in the NCAA, a team with which he scored 48 points in 39 games last season.

But what catches the attention in his case is his selection as late in 2022 when some recruiters saw him coming out in the first round.


In this regard, as reported by Cédrick Gervais, from the site Marqueur.com, a former NHL scout made quite a statement about Hutson, and let's just say it will please Canadiens fans.

During his appearance on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, Kyle Woodlief, who once worked with the Nashville Predators organization, mentioned that if Lane Hutson had been two inches taller and twenty pounds heavier at the draft, he would have been among the top three players drafted in 2022.



In the top 3, no less!

It's clear that his size, 5 feet 9 inches and 148 pounds, made him fall in the draft, but his offensive talent is undeniable, and he was among the ten finalists for the Hobey-Baker trophy awarded to the best university player in the United States, an honor that went to Adam Fantilli, chosen third overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets this year.

Even if it's too early to say that the young defenseman of the CH organization is a real daylight theft by Kent Hughes, let's just say some organizations might regret it if Hutson ever became an elite defenseman in the NHL.