ARLINGTON, Va. -- Lane Hutson looks into the Montreal Canadiens' future and is thrilled he'll be a part of it.
"It's awesome," the rookie defenseman said at the 2024 NHLPA Rookie Showcase last month. "Time will tell, but I think better years are in front of us. I think the fan base has been waiting for this. It's exciting we've got so many great young players."
Hutson is one of them. Hutson, 20, and Logan Mailloux, 21, who each remain on the Canadiens roster into the final days of training camp with the injured David Reinbacher, 19, represent part of the organization's promising next generation on defense that already includes Kaiden Guhle, 22, and Arber Xhekaj, 23.
After Hutson turned pro following his sophomore year at Boston University and playing his first two NHL games at the end of last season, he approached training camp with the intent of earning a spot on Montreal's opening night roster and becoming part of its present this season.
"You've always got to think you have that chance," he said. "I'm just really excited. We've got lots of great [defensemen] and it's competitive, but it's a good competitive. And it's really exciting times in Montreal."
Hutson, selected by the Canadiens in the second round (No. 62) of the 2022 NHL Draft, had 49 points (15 goals, 34 assists) in 38 games for BU last season and demonstrated his offensive potential in his first two NHL games. Playing on consecutive nights in a home-and-home series against the Detroit Red Wings, he had two assists and impressed with his dazzling skating and stick-handing while dancing around defenders.
Hutson has carried that into training camp, getting two assists in three preseason games.
"He loves to jump in the offense and play with the puck and I just try to find him as much as possible," said veteran defenseman David Savard, who has been paired with Hutson for much of camp. "He likes to have the puck and make plays, and he talks a lot because he wants it, and it makes my job easy. And I'm in the back, making sure everything's good.
"But it's been fun to play with him and kind of getting to know each other."
Hutson knows to stay with the Canadiens he also needs to show he can defend against NHL players despite his lack of size (5-foot-9, 162 pounds).
"It's hard. It's hard for everyone," he said. "There's some really talented players in the NHL and I think sticking to the way I've been defending my whole life, using my speed and my stick and just really learning, and learning what works and what doesn't, that's only going to help me."
Hutson has impressed Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis so far. A Hockey Hall of Fame forward despite being 5-8, 180, St. Louis appreciates the potential of smaller players as much as anyone and has liked how Hutson has handled every challenge he's faced.
"I think it's his consistency," St. Louis said. "I don't see this as us presenting him with challenges, Lane's a kid who loves hockey and you see that on the ice, how he plays and how he competes. And he's been very consistent so far. It's pretty much the same."
After playing most of last season with Laval in the American Hockey League, Mailloux went into camp looking to prove he can be consistent too.
"That's what I learned last year is consistency kind of keeps you around and that's one of the biggest aspects," Mailloux said. "I think I'm ready to do it."
The No. 31 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Mailloux got valuable experience as a first-year pro last season, getting 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) in 72 games with Laval. He also got his feet wet in the NHL by playing the Canadiens' regular-season finale against the Red Wings on April 16. He had an assist in 21:14 of ice time.
"Being in the [AHL] all year, you kind of wonder what it's like making the jump," Mailloux said. "Then, kind of getting a taste of it last year at the end of the season, I think that's going to help moving forward."
Having watched Mailloux in the two years since he was drafted, Hutson can see his potential and envisions what they can add together to Montreal's defense.
"It's definitely something to look forward to and I hope he feels the same," Hutson said. "He's an amazing player, an amazing two-way player. He has an unbelievable shot. You don't want to get in front of that shot, but he can score. Then on the defensive side, he's so smart and smooth and kills plays. He's tough and a mean player too.
"He's someone you don't want to play against and someone you want to play with."
The Canadiens hope to take a significant step forward in their rebuild after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past three seasons. Mailloux believes he and Hutson can step in and help them this season.
"Our goal is to stay in Montreal and win there," Mailloux said. "There's a collective group of talented young guys there, so it's an exciting time for sure. … I don't think either of us wants to play in the NHL and just be there and kind of fit in. We both want to be impact players, so I think we can do that."
NHL.com independent correspondent Sean Farrell contributed to this report
