Stu Cowan: Canadiens showing good things come in small packages

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After watching Lane Hutson play on Saturday evening on the Bell Centre it’s arduous to consider 61 gamers had been chosen earlier than the Canadiens took him within the second spherical of the 2022 NHL Draft.

Typically the most effective issues are available in small packages and Hutson is an instance.

Hutson seemed like a bit of boy sporting his father’s Canadiens sweater after getting drafted — he was listed at 5-foot-9 and 148 kilos on the time — however he’s filling that sweater out properly now.

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Hutson — now listed at 5-foot-10 and 162 kilos — picked up his third help in three video games Saturday because the Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Hutson has now performed 5 video games within the NHL — together with two on the finish of final season — and has 5 assists.

Hutson’s dimension is the one cause he was nonetheless out there to the Canadiens late within the second spherical of the draft.

“The draft is the draft,” Hutson stated after Saturday’s sport. “I’m simply comfortable the place I received picked … what workforce received me. I couldn’t be extra thrilled to be right here with the path the workforce’s going. However, yeah, possibly on the time I used to be undoubtedly utilizing it a bit of bit as motivation.

“I used to be fairly irritated,” Hutson added about watching 61 gamers be drafted forward of him. “I used to be sitting there, I used to be irritated. Actually simply ready and hoping that it was the fitting spot and it ended up being the fitting spot. I couldn’t be happier.”

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The Canadiens are very comfortable now Hutson was nonetheless out there after that they had taken Juraj Slafkovsky (first total) and Filip Mesar (twenty sixth total) within the first spherical of the 2022 draft, and Owen Beck with their first decide within the second spherical (thirty third total).

The Canadiens are additionally very comfortable now Cole Caufield was nonetheless out there after they had the fifteenth total decide on the 2019 NHL Draft. Caufield’s dimension — listed at 5-foot-7 and 162 kilos on the time — was the rationale he didn’t go earlier within the draft.

Caufield scored twice in opposition to the Senators on Saturday, giving him 4 objectives in three video games. Emil Heineman (his first NHL objective) and Alex Newhook additionally scored for the Canadiens, whereas goalie Samuel Montembeault stopped 24 of the 25 photographs he confronted.

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The brand new No. 13 sweater Caufield is sporting this season in honour of Johnny Gaudreau — the Columbus Blue Jackets star who was killed in August alongside along with his brother, Matthew, when struck by an alleged drunk driver whereas using their bikes — appears superb on him.

“All issues apart, it’s a reasonably critical dialog,” Caufield stated about sporting No. 13. “It doesn’t even actually matter on the hockey facet of issues. It feels good to get off to begin however, extra importantly, simply to signify the man that he was means extra to me.”

Caufield has been pointing as much as the sky after every of his objectives in honour of Gaudreau, who was his teammate with Crew USA at this 12 months’s IIHF world championship. Gaudreau, who was solely 5-foot-9 and 163 kilos, impressed Caufield when he was rising up in Wisconsin.

“You bought to belief that he’s watching over his former teammates and all his family members,” Caufield stated. “I’m fairly honoured about that.”

Caufield and Hutson can now encourage a youthful technology of smaller hockey gamers.

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Hutson is a lot enjoyable to look at along with his distinctive ability set.

Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis stated Hutson is “tiring” for the opposition. The coach added the very fact Hutson is so fast and explosive, with a capability to go east-west “very, very fast” and discover little of pockets of area along with his stick-handling and deception, permits him to drive possession of the puck and create scoring possibilities for his teammates. St. Louis stated Hutson’s ability set and intelligence additionally permits him to not simply make a play, however to search out the most effective play — one thing the most effective gamers are able to doing.

That’s what Hutson did when he picked up his help Saturday, creating area within the offensive zone earlier than discovering Newhook, who was capable of take three strides in open ice earlier than beating Senators goalie Linus Ullmark with a fantastic shot.

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“The way in which he handles the puck in sure conditions it’s fairly loopy,” Caufield stated about Hutson “It appears like he’s been taking part in for a very very long time (within the NHL). All credit score to him. He’s labored actually arduous and deserves all this.”

The 5-foot-8 St. Louis can relate to Hutson and Caufield after by no means being chosen himself on the NHL Draft due to his dimension earlier than occurring to have a Corridor of Fame profession.

“I’m happy with seeing the smaller gamers within the league,” St. Louis stated. “I really feel like there’s gamers that helped that for me. I really feel I used to be a part of that, too. The league type of transitioned. They simply took whoever may play. Not simply you needed to be a sure top to get on the trip. These guys are doing it it doesn’t matter what dimension. It’s enjoyable to look at.

“I guess you there’s plenty of groups proper now that wished that they had taken (Hutson) within the first spherical.”

scowan@postmedia.com

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