9-time Stanley Cup-winning coach heaps praise on Habs rookie Lane Hutson

Legendary nine-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Scotty Bowman heaped praise on Montreal Canadiens rookie defenseman Lane Hutson during an appearance on "The Sick" podcast on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old Hutson has been a revelation for the Canadiens this season, recording 33 assists and 36 points in just 44 games so far.

Bowman marveled at Hutson's rare combination of skills and production at such a young age, saying:

"Yeah, he's got all the tools, I don't know how he could be so good, so young. But I know people in Montreal. ... You know, he can make plays on lot of players and it showing up in the production."

"So, I mean he's gonna be, whether they like it or not, observers are going to have put him into the mix for, you got the rookie, but also talk about Norris (top all-around defenseman) now."

Bowman drew comparisons between Hutson and two other elite young defensemen making huge impacts for their teams — Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks.

"The other two defensemen in the league to me that play and run games Makar we know and Hughes in Vancouver, they're so special... When they're not on the ice, the game changes, same now with young Hutson," Bowman said.

Hutson currently leads all rookie scorers by a healthy margin, with 36 points in 44 games so far. That puts him four points ahead of Philadelphia's Matvei Michkov and San Jose's Macklin Celebrini, and 13 points ahead of Dallas' Logan Stankoven in the Calder Trophy race.

NHL reporter questions Habs rookie Lane Hutson's defense

A ranking by The Athletic's Corey Pronman has sparked controversy among Montreal Canadiens fans. In his ranking, Pronman placed Lane Hutson 39th overall.

While praising Hutson's offensive abilities, calling his puck skills and hockey sense "above average" and "high-end," Pronman questioned Hutson’s defensive play.

"There's no doubting Hutson's offense — the doubt comes down to his defense. He's a small defenseman with good but not great feet and not very physical. He has so much offense that he could still be a top-four defenseman, but he may also give up a lot of goals."

Lane Hutson, the 62nd pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Habs in April 2024.