Kent Hughes on the verge of adding a Calder finalist to his lineup this season

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MarcO
July 30, 2024 (8:27)

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The last member of the Montreal Canadiens to win the Calder Trophy was Ken Dryden during the 1971-72 season.

That was quite a while ago, and one might wonder if a member of the Montreal organization will soon win the prestigious honor awarded to the NHL's Rookie of the Year.

If Ivan Demidov has every chance of being the first Hab to win this trophy since Dryden, there may be another player who could come close as early as next season.

That player is Lane Hutson.

While not placing him as the favorite, Simon Boisvert brought him into the discussion this Friday when talking about possible candidates for this honor.

According to Boisvert, Hutson could very well be the rookie defenseman who finishes the season with the most points in 2024-2025.

If Martin St-Louis uses him wisely and gives him power-play time, Hutson could very well rack up the points. Enough to finish as the top-scoring rookie defenseman? That remains to be seen, but it is possible.

It will be interesting to see how Hutson fares over a full 82-game season (as opposed to 34 in the NCAA). In this category, he will certainly compete against Artyom Levshunov and Denton Mateychuk. Unless a defenseman like Brock Faber in 2022-2023 emerges from nowhere.

The Calder Trophy for Lane Hutson in 2024-25? If he is added to the regular lineup of the Montreal Canadiens and plays 82 games, it is possible!

First and foremost, Boisvert mentions that to win the Calder, you need at least a 60-point season. Even though he loves Macklin Celebrini, he doesn't know if he will be able to do it, but doesn't rule him out of the race. There's also Will Smith (if he starts in San Jose), Matvei Michkov, Logan Stankoven, Cutter Gauthier, and Shane Wright.

For those who will be closely watching Michkov, be warned. Despite his experience in the KHL, he does not have a head start. It's all about points. Michkov, who is a scorer, will he really be able to rack up 60?

What will his relationship be like with John Tortorella? There are still many things to see about him.

If Hutson indeed secures a spot with the Habs and gets his minutes on the power play, he could very well compete with the forwards. And even if he doesn't win the Calder Trophy, knowing that he was among the finalists, even if it's just in the top 5, at the end of next season will be a big plus. Especially if he finishes as the top-scoring rookie defenseman.

Credit: BPM Sports
Lane Hutson pourrait être dans une position favorable pour le Calder