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Top Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson can now sign a contract

Posted on by Neons

It's official, top Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson can sign his entry-level contract.

Hutson competed in the Frozen Four tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Although he played for the Boston University Terriers, one of the strongest teams in the NCAA, he lost to the Denver Pioneers 2-1 in the semifinals of the Frozen Four.

That means Hutson can now sign an entry-level contract with the Habs, though we'll have to wait a few days to hear from the elite prospect to determine his intentions going forward.

Given that Boston University is losing many of its top players, including McLean Celebrini, a player who is expected to be drafted first in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, there is little chance that Hutson will want to return. If some key players remained, the logic would be to reload and try to win the National Championship, but that's not the case.

If Thursday's game is his final in the NCAA, Hutson will finish his impressive career with 30 goals and 67 assists in just 76 games, one of the highest scoring rates for a defenseman in league history.

Lane Hutson Contract Options

If you want to know how the contract affects the Canadiens and Hutson, here are some details from a previously published article.

Regardless of when Hutson joins the Montreal Canadiens, he'll likely burn through the first year of his three-year, entry-level contract (ELC) as he's signed a 20-year contract.

The “contract slide” rule, which allows teams to honor the contracts of 18- or 19-year-olds who have played fewer than 10 professional games, does not apply to Hutson in this case; this creates its own set of limitations.

As the young defenseman will burn the first year of his contract and sign after the March 8 NHL trade deadline, he will not be able to join the Laval Rockets; it's for the regular season or any potential playoffs.

The only way to send Hutson to Laval is if he signs a professional tryout (PTO) with the Laval Rockets to finish the season and then signs an ELC for the start of the 2024-2025 season; a strategy the Canadiens have done in the past with Lucas Condotta and Jayden Struble.

However, given that Hutson is one of the Montreal Canadiens' top prospects and one of the most dynamic youngsters outside of the NHL, his chances of landing a spot are close to zero.

Expect the Canadiens to roll out the red carpet and sign him to ELC immediately so he can join the Canadiens to finish out the season, it's just a matter of when.

Potential Montreal Canadian influence

If Layne Hutson signs his entry-level contract, you can expect him to bring some important items to the table for the Canadiens. However, before we dwell on his strengths, we should note that he has had a very busy season and it is unlikely that he will log heavy ice time for the Habs.

It will take him a little time to settle in, learn the playbook, participate in practices, and then we'll see if head coach Martin St. Louis wants to use him in the game.

What we do know is that he will play at least one game, burning a year of his entry-level contract.

Once Hutson adjusts to his new settings, Habs fans can expect to see a highly creative defenseman who specializes in creating time and space for his teammates.

He won't get to drive the blue line as often as he did in the NCAA, but his anticipation and vision should allow him to identify passing options and shooting lanes. Juraj Slafkowski will be one of the key players to benefit from Hutson's presence in the lineup, especially as the Canadiens turn to the powerplay.

Hutson will need a responsible defensive partner, but options on the right side are limited. David Savard could fit the bill, as would Jonathan Kovacevic, but don't be surprised if Kayden Goulet is pushed to right to complement the now-injured Hutson.

In other Habs-related NCAA news, forward Luke Tuch is also available to sign an entry-level contract. Like Florian Hekaj, he will likely sign a professional trial with Rocket Laval. This will allow him to qualify for the playoffs when the ELC begins next season.

Tuch scored Boston University's lone goal in the Frozen Four semifinal loss, which shows his tendency to maintain an extremely high level of work ethic.

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