By Russ Cohen
I think both of these players will see NHL time. Can I say for sure they will be everyday players? Not yet but I leaning towards that. Lane Hutson was a riskier pick than Cole. I think the Canadiens and Boston University have done a nice job of developing him. He got two points in his first two games, I know, but better than no points and Lane is so much stronger than he used to be and all the other crazy good offensive traits are there.
I’ve been lucky enough to see both brothers play quite a bit live and otherwise. Cole is terrific on the power play like Lane. Then there are some differences. Cole can improve his body positioning but, he uses his body more than Lane did at this age. His active stick on defense coupled with his crazy edge work makes him dangerous on any shift.
He scored his career 112th point at the U18 Worlds making him the highest-scoring defenseman in the history of the NTDP. I saw a game that Hutson played in the Five Nations that showed off his all-around game. This is something that will be either dismissed or written off by some because he’s so good offensively. I am here to tell you that his improvement this year in that area has been impressive.
Odds are against both of the Hutson brothers because of the lack of size as a defenseman. I believe the other gifts they have will offset that and these guys will beat the odds someday. We all forget there are changes in the game that take place that always offer up the opportunity for these players to shine. My guess is, that is coming in the next few years.
Cole already weighs more than Lane. He’s 170 but Lane is more developed physically. That will happen for Cole as well and that’s another reason why I am high on both of these players currently.
