Occasionally, during a Hockey night in Canada broadcast, someone says something that breaks the usual clichés and hits a player hard. That’s what happened last weekend when Chris Pronger, of all people, caused one of the most unexpected disruptions Montreal Canadians defenseman Lane Hutson that I have heard.
Related: Canadiens should not pursue Ryan O’Reilly in trade
Pronger’s analysis was not particularly harsh, but was delivered in an almost amused tone. It was the first critical review of Hutson’s play that I heard. And the truth is, I had never considered Pronger’s perspective.
For Pronger, Hutson has great talent, but he is too chaotic
In short, Pronger has laid out something that most analysts have avoided. Certainly, Hutson has enormous talent. Perhaps next to Vancouver Canucks blueliner Quinn Hughes, whose play is the most fun to watch, Hutson will be hard to take your eyes off when he’s on the ice. He, like Hughes, also plays a fun game to watch.
But Pronger also pointed out another aspect. For his money, Hutson’s game is too frenetic, and he hinted that the kind of chaos Hutson creates will get in his way at times.
With the help of Hutson, Montreal dismantled the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday night. It was after Hutson flew off the bench put a goal behind the Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll that Pronger took some time to focus on the 20-year-old defender. He described Hutson as “a water bug”: arms and legs everywhere, darting around with an energy that sometimes overwhelms the structure of the piece.
Related: NHL Rumors: O’Reilly & Canadiens, Jarry & Oilers, Sherwood to be traded
Pronger’s point was simple: you can get away with that if you’re young, fast and enthusiastic. But the NHL ultimately forces players – especially smaller defensemen – to sharpen up, conserve energy and pick their spots.
While Hutson’s game is far from Pronger’s, there is something to think about here
This criticism, coming from Pronger, had weight. However, it is also best taken with a pinch of salt. Pronger, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, played a towering, punishing, territorial style. He didn’t skate to find the game; he let the game come to him. Hutson, at 6-foot-4 and 162 pounds, doesn’t have that luxury. His best weapon is constant movement, the creativity that keeps defenders guessing instead of reacting.
When Pronger tells Hutson to “calm down,” it threatens to sound like an eagle trying to slow down a hummingbird’s flutter. But beneath the stylistic discrepancy lies an important truth. Many small defensemen enter the NHL and play like a metaphorical hummingbird. They know no other way but to twitch around, risk the same overextension in the defensive zone and solve problems through movement rather than positioning.
Related: Martin St. Louis and the Canadiens’ power of belief
Each of these highly talented, but smaller blueliners had to learn that fine edge. They need to lean into their talent first, but if they want to become 23-minute players who don’t wear out, they then need to learn when movement helps, and when it simply adds more excitement to the game.
Pronger didn’t tell Hutson to get bigger, just smarter
That’s where Pronger’s comments become constructive instead of dismissive. He didn’t tell Hutson to grow six inches. He told him that the path to longevity is not just in his hands and feet; it’s about learning how the NHL game reads him.
Pronger knows Hutson already has the offensive instincts and talents that can’t be taught. But defensively he sometimes chases the play instead of shaping it. He jumps into fights he doesn’t need to win. He burns energy fixing mistakes that could prevent better positioning and thinking about two chess moves ahead.
Pronger wasn’t criticizing so much as describing the standard learning curve of a second-year defenseman. And despite his immense talent, Hutson is a second-year defenseman.
Pronger’s insight is worth noting for the Canadiens and Hutson
And that made Pronger’s version worth listening to. He recognized both sides: Hutson’s talent is real, and his pace is part of what makes him dangerous. But if the Canadiens’ talented youngster wants to be elite, he’ll have to refine that energy. Hughes and others before him learned how to keep chaos in their pocket until there was no other choice. Hutson is trying to figure this out.
Related: Elliotte Friedman sees the Canadiens ready to make a move
For Montreal, this is encouraging rather than worrying. The NHL’s toughest players are already taking notice of Hutson — not just as a highlight machine, but as a player whose development will determine the Canadiens’ long-term trajectory. If anything, Pronger’s comments were a sign of respect. You get the feeling he wouldn’t waste his breath on a player he didn’t believe could become anything important.
Hutson will grow. He will adapt. And if he learns to combine his unique creativity with a little more restraint, Montreal won’t just have a nice young defenseman. They will have a basic one.
#Pronger #weighs #Canadiens #Hutsons #journey #maturity #NHL #Hockey #Writers #Latest #news #analysis