The Montreal Canadiens made a significant move by selecting young Lane Hutson at the 62nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Despite his smaller stature at 5 feet 8 inches during the draft, experts believed he could have been a top-10 pick if he had been just a couple of inches taller. Now, a year and a half later, Hutson has reportedly grown those crucial two inches, according to the American team's roster for the 2024 World Junior Championship.
Lane's slide in the draft deeply affected the Hutson family. In an interview with Nicolas Cloutier from TVA Sports, Lane's younger brother, Cole, shared some revealing thoughts.
Cole Hutson, Lane's talented younger brother, is eligible for the upcoming NHL draft. Like Lane, Cole has been impressive with the U.S. National Team Development Program this season, accumulating six goals and 23 points in 25 games. At 17 years old, Cole already stands at 5 feet 10 inches and could grow further in the coming months. Born in late June, he is one of the younger prospects in his draft class, with a promising development trajectory.
Interestingly, Cole mentioned that the Canadiens have had discussions with him on several occasions, indicating Montreal's interest in possibly selecting another Hutson in the draft.
Mid-season evaluations place Cole between the 20th and 27th overall picks, making him a potential high-value pick towards the end of the first round. While the Canadiens currently don't have a second first-round pick, this could change at the trade deadline if GM Kent Hughes decides to trade players like Sean Monahan or David Savard.
