Film Room: Lane Hutson is perfecting how to defend within his limitations

When the Montreal Canadiens took a swing on Lane Hutson in the 2022 NHL Draft, optimistic and skeptical scouts alike agreed: if he made the NHL, he would be an anomaly.

Drafted at 5-foot-8 and now measuring in at 5-foot-9, Hutson is the smallest defenceman in the NHL, tied with Minnesota Wild veteran blue-liner Jared Spurgeon. 

Historically, size has always been a considerable factor in an NHL defenceman’s effectiveness in their own zone. It allows them to fend off forecheckers on retrievals, gives them the reach to disrupt carriers’ entry attempts, the muscle to clear the net front, and much more. With the NHL getting bigger and bigger, it is no surprise that Hutson’s hyper-skilled offensive game wasn’t enough to persuade NHL scouts to pick him earlier than 62nd overall. 

It took him a full