Lane Hutson has yet to score this season

Dose
Crédit: BUFFALO, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: Dylan Cozens #24 of the Buffalo Sabres and Lane Hutson #48 of the Montreal Canadiens follow play during an NHL game on November 11, 2024 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Montreal won, 7-5 (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

Let’s take a look at the list of players who didn’t score often this season for the Canadiens.

Among the forwards, the names Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky, who have just one goal apiece since the start of the campaign, quickly come to mind. Here are two who need to score more often.

Will they? We think so.

But two names that come to mind first are Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson. The two guys, who are the club’s offensive engines, have yet to find the back of the net.

The two defensemen have 10 assists each (including six on the powerplay for Matheson and four for the rookie) this season in 16 games, but no goals to their name.

Should we be concerned that both players have yet to find the back of the net? After 16 games this season, or about 20% of the campaign, it’s fair to wonder, yes.

But just because they suck doesn’t mean they can’t score, so it’s not the end of the world. After all, they still manage to generate offense.

But still: they must be looking forward to scoring.

You can tell Lane Hutson, who has never scored in the Bettman Tour, that he’s among the most productive rookies in NHL history in terms of assists in his first 18 NHL games, but he probably can’t wait to score goals.

What this tells me is that the defender, as we can see, needs to improve the quality of his shot. We already knew that, but there’s more evidence of that in light of what we’ve seen over the past month.

We’re sure he’ll never have the range of Shea Weber, but still: he’s got to be better.

The good news? Hutson is playing well on the ice, developing and has the confidence of his coaches. He’s the third-highest scorer in his draft class (2022) so far this season, behind Slaf and Logan Cooley… who each have just one more point than him. #11

That’s all there is to it.

Lane is on the right track, then. But even if the Habs want to develop, the NHL is still a results league and Hutson will have to find the back of the net sooner or later.

And if he does, watch out for the Calder.

Overtime

– Paul Maurice in interview.

– Nick Suzuki must always be the one who works the hardest on the ice, to set an example.

– Hall of Fame: to induct an incumbent or not? [BPM Sports]

– What do you think?

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