Canadiens: Lane Hutson Beats Chris Chelios' Record
With only one game left in Lane Hutson's historical rookie season, the Montreal Canadiens blueliner still leads all rookies in points, two ahead of San Jose Sharks' Macklin Celebrini and five in front of Philadelphia Flyers' Matvei Michkov. On Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, he finally beat Chris Chelios's record and became the highest-scoring rookie defenseman in franchise history.
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The 62nd overall pick at the 2022 draft has exceeded all expectations in his rookie season. While he dropped at the draft because of his small stature, he had taken to the NHL like a fish to water and is using his size to his advantage. The blueliner has so much speed and deceptive actions that other players struggle to hit such a tiny, fast-moving target.
With a single game left to play, it's safe to say that Hutson will not break the league record that belongs to Larry Murphy, who put up 76 points with the Los Angeles Kings in 1980-81, but being the fifth-highest scoring defenseman in league history is no small feat. As things stand, only Murphy, Brian Leetch (71), Gary Suter (68), and Phil Housley (66) have scored more points in their rookie season. They all became fantastic offensive defensemen, playing significant roles in their team's fate. Housley is the only one who didn't win a Stanley Cup.
Among active blueliners, Quinn Hughes's rookie season was the most productive, with 53 points (in 68 games), ranks 15th in league history. Moritz Seider and Cale Makar (in 57 games) had 50 points in their first seasons, giving them the 18th and 19th rank, respectively. Seider and Makar both won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie of the year, and Hughes probably would have done as well had he not played his rookie season the same year as Makar.
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At this stage, the Canadiens' standout should receive the honour and become the first Canadiens to win it since Ken Dryden in 1971-72. Only six Habs have won the coveted prize: Dryden, Jacques Laperriere, Bobby Rousseau, Ralph Backstrom, Bernie Geoffrion, and John Quilty.
Even if Hutson were to lose the rookie scoring race, considering how impressive and even historical his rookie season has been, he should still be crowned.
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