Longtime NHL analyst and co-host of The Eye Test, Pierre McGuire, has been hyping up Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson since the Canadiens drafted him in the second round (62nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal.
However, while McGuire is still leading the Lane Hutson hype train, he’s cautioning the Montreal media and Canadiens fans to be patient and not let the escalated hype surrounding the 20-year-old slick defenseman after a thrilling performance at the Canadiens prospect showdown this past weekend.
“Last Thursday, I told (TSN 690), ‘Enjoy this rookie opportunity with Lane Hutson because this will be the last time he’ll play in a rookie tournament. He’s really good, Jimmy. As you know, I’ve known it for a long time. It’s not because of the games he’s played; it’s not because of the World Championship exposure; it’s not because of the national championship chase for Jay Pandolfo (Boston University head coach) at Boston University; it’s because of watching him practice. He’s got an unbelievable passion for the game.”
McGuire also recalled a specific game last season in which, even when Hutson wasn’t at his best, he still made eye-popping plays.
”I went to a game. …Boston University versus Northeastern at B.U., right after the World Junior,” McGuire recalled. “I can tell you right now [Macklin] Celebrini played for Canada that night, and he didn’t have a huge night, but he scored an unbelievable power-play goal. Lane Hutson did not have a good game that night, but he did five or six things that night, Jimmy, where I was like, Holy Mackoral! He’s so good.”
Even though McGuire knows that Hutson will pull those plays off as a rookie this season, the former NHL assistant coach and NHL executive also knows that there will be an adjustment period and wants Montreal Canadiens fans to remember that.
“People are going to have to understand this kid is really good, but it’s not all about offense,” McGuire pointed out. “Once the rookie camp is over, and he’s playing with the big boys, things will change a little bit. So he will be really good, but there will probably be a 30-40 game adjustment for him.
Players like him have a feel for the game and need to get in rhythm. It’s going to be a disjointed rhythm for him because he’s not going to be in big matchup situations, he’s not going to be a penalty killer, and he probably will be on the powerplay – whether it’s the first or second one I don’t know – so there’s going to be an adjustment for him just to get in a rhythm. He’s used to playing 25-32 minutes a game at B.U. But that’s not happening in Montreal. So, there will be a huge adjustment period for him because he won’t be able to track his rhythm early, and that’s the hardest thing for those young guys.
So, that’s what I’m saying, there’s going to be a 30-40 game adjustment period, but there’s going to be nights when you say, ‘Wow! That guy’s really good!’
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