9-Time Stanley Cup Winner Serge Savard Makes Bold Statement About Canadiens Defenseman Lane Hutson
Since joining the NHL, defenseman Lane Hutson has been attracting attention with brilliant performances and won the prestigious Calder Trophy in 2024-25.
The phenomenon Lane Hutson continues to impress us since his debut in the National Hockey League and will be an extremely important player in the team's future successes.
The Montreal defensive corps is more promising than ever, also relying on Kaiden Guhle, Noah Dobson, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, as well as veterans Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier.
There are also young players David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom to watch. In juniors, don't forget the name Bryce Pickford, as the electrifying defenseman will soon come into the spotlight.
Owen Protz, who plays in the OHL, is also destined for a bright professional future. Bogdan Konyushkov, who signed in the KHL until 2027, could shake things up later on.
German Carlos Handel is playing in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads and could become a huge coup in the Montreal Canadiens draft.
A 6th-round pick, 177th overall, in the 2025 draft class, Handel scored 26 points in 52 games with Halifax after just arriving in North America at only 17 years old. I suggest keeping an eye on him next season.
Serge Savard Says Defenseman Lane Hutson Is the Best Montreal Canadiens Player Since Guy Lafleur
Lane Hutson impresses everyone, especially the legendary Serge Savard, who spares no words in praise of the young defenseman.
"Time will tell, but he's probably the most talented player the Canadiens have had since Guy Lafleur," Savard said Tuesday. "Ever since I saw him, from the very beginning, I said he was the Canadiens' best player. I was convinced early on that he would be a big star in the National Hockey League."
"The things he can do, not many people can do that," Savard said. "Naturally, you're always scared when a 6-foot-4 guy comes from his blind side at 100 miles an hour, but he's so agile and always finds a way to get out of the way. He's not afraid to play when a game is very intense."
"The first thing everyone said about Hutson was that he was so small he was going to get killed," said Robinson, quoted by the French-language Journal de Montreal. "It reminds me a lot of what people used to say in Wayne Gretzky's day. They said he wasn't big enough and that he was going to get hurt. Look at what he's done, it's not so bad!
"It's exciting for the city of Montreal to have a player like Hutson."
"The first thing everyone said about Hutson was that he was so small he was going to get killed," said Robinson, quoted by the French-language Journal de Montreal. "It reminds me a lot of what people used to say in Wayne Gretzky's day. They said he wasn't big enough and that he was going to get hurt. Look at what he's done, it's not so bad!
"It's exciting for the city of Montreal to have a player like Hutson."
The legendary Savard won seven Stanley Cups as a player and two as a manager with the Montreal Canadiens. He earned himself the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1969, appeared in four NHL All-Star Games, received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1979, was named an NHL Second-Team All-Star that same year, and was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986.
According to Savard, Hutson is the best Canadiens player since... Guy Lafleur! A comment that speaks volumes about the talent of number 48.
