Arber Xhekaj can’t help but marvel whenever Montreal Canadiens teammate Lane Hutson hops over the boards for a shift.
“He has been dancing on the ice,” Xhekaj said on Saturday. “It’s pretty cool to see, pretty impressive. He hasn’t missed a beat.”
There hasn’t been much joy for Xhekaj and the rest of the Canadiens in the early going in the 2024-25 regular season. If, for any reason, you had Montreal making the playoffs next spring, you might want to step off that.
Before the Canadiens and Maple Leafs met on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, Montreal was sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference with 10 points.
Hutson, however, provides a nice dose of hope for the Canadiens’ future. A second-round pick by Montreal in 2022, the little defenceman — he’s 5-foot-9, 162 pounds — has been playing big minutes on the blue line.
Through 14 games, the 20-year-old Hutson was logging an average of 23 minutes 10 seconds a game. No other National Hockey League freshman had played more than 20 minutes a game.
Hutson got into two games with the Canadiens last April after two excellent seasons at Boston University, averaging more than a point a game in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.
A native of Holland, Mich., Hutson had seven assists before Saturday night.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Hutson likes his adjustment to playing in the NHL, though he knows the challenges will continue.
“The time and space, it closes off pretty quick,” Hutson said. “There are really good players on the other team, so it’s hard to do all the things you want to do. Sometimes you have to keep it simple, something I’m still learning.
“It’s going good, I think. I still have so much to learn. I want to build a consistent game that’s repeatable. I’m excited to keep going.”
Hutson didn’t play in more than 39 regular-season games in either of his two years at Boston U. The grind of the NHL season often wears down any former NCAA player in his rookie year.
Hutson welcomes the heavier schedule.
“It’s just more hockey, so no complaints from me,” Hutson said. “It’s fun and you don’t want to burn out, but you also want to put your best foot forward every night.”
Given the Atlantic Division rivalry between the Leafs and Canadiens, and with the expectation that Montreal eventually will be a good team again, the Leafs know they’re going to have to get accustomed to playing against Hutson and trying to keep him in check.
“Dynamic skater, head’s up all the time,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “He really sees the ice well and he has great feet and agility. Probably compare him to (Canucks captain Quinn) Hughes in Vancouver to some point. He’s a dangerous player.”