Martin St. Louis of Montreal Canadiens Trusts Lane Hutson Too Much – Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens
Lane Hutson played 28:55 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday night. You scored a goal. He blocked the shot. He did everything that could be asked of a franchise defenseman in an important home game. However, he also took a knee on Taylor Hall in overtime in Game 2, elbowed William Carrier in the head in overtime in Game 3 that the officials never called, and now he’s been targeted more than any other Montreal pitcher in the series.
He keeps coming. But as the Canadiens enter a must-win Game 4 on Wednesday down 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes, Martin St. Louis must decide if Hutson can handle about 29 minutes a night, and more, if necessary.
Hutson’s Career Continues to Grow
In their first round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Hutson averaged 27:23 of ice time, and that number only increased in the conference finals. As The Hockey Writers noted, the 2026 Playoffs proved Hutson can do it all when the stakes are high, but logging 27 minutes a night against Quinn Hughes is no reason to keep pushing that ceiling higher.
Through this series, Hutson has taken more hits than any Canadiens forward, and it’s a deliberate strategy for the Hurricanes, who averaged 43.73 shots per 60 minutes in the conference finals, to trouble Montreal’s most important defender. Hits don’t happen by chance, and the more minutes he plays, the more he’s exposed to that strategy.
St. Louis Should Make Better Use of His Blue Line
The good news of St. Louis that you have options, which have been pretty quiet throughout the process.
Mike Matheson is the most natural candidate to get more ice time. He led the Canadiens in season ice time with 24:10 per game and has the experience and competitive level to handle tough minutes in a physical series. He scored a goal in Game 3 and showed that he can move the puck reliably to take the load off of Hutson in situations.
Kaiden Guhle came up short in the playoffs for the Canadiens. In 16 games, Guhle has posted eight points, all at 5-on-5, while contributing physically with a shot and a blocked shot, ranking among the NHL’s top defensemen in advanced metrics this postseason. He doesn’t chase headlines, and he doesn’t need to. If St. Louis gives Guhle more defensive space and tough matchup minutes, it can directly reduce the burden Hutson has to carry on the other end of the ice.
Noah Dobson is the third part of this equation. St. Louis paired Hutson and Dobson as his two main puck-movers, a combination that produced offense but also gave them the toughest deployment on the roster. A little redistribution with Dobson taking on some of the more difficult starting positions would allow Hutson to be used more selectively, especially in offensive positions where his swing and decision-making are sharper.
Jayden Struble rounds out the deep picture. His stay-at-home style has been described as the perfect complement to Hutson’s game, and his defensive presence alongside Hutson gives the young defender the freedom to jump into the game without worrying about coverage behind him. More minutes from Struble in low-level conditions is a simple but effective fix St.
Canadiens Risk Running Hutson In The Ground
The instinct to keep Hutson on the ice is understandable. He is the best option, and Montreal is chasing the streak. But that logic only holds until it doesn’t. Hockey writers have tracked Hutson’s development since his college days, noting that his greatest asset is his ability to process the game while simultaneously reacting to it, keeping him ahead of everyone else.
That’s a mental-physical edge, and a player who catches repeated hits, manages what might be the residual effects of head hits, and logs about 29 minutes a night in the conference finals physically can’t use his cognitive engine at full capacity.
Others noted that Hutson didn’t look the same after Carrier’s overtime hit on Monday, and that the neutral-zone gain that led directly to Andrei Svechnikov’s overtime winner came after that. That connection cannot be proven. But it cannot be dismissed either.
That St. Louis Owens Hutson
There is a version where loading Hutson with minutes is a sign of trust and belief in the team’s best player. There is another version where the coaching staff fails to protect an asset that the entire team relies on.
Montreal can’t win this series without Hutson. His fingerprints are all over the Canadiens’ wins this postseason, and when he controls the point on the power play, the entire structure of Montreal’s offensive zone shift. That’s why using him nearly 29 minutes a night against a team that has injured him as his primary defensive strategy is a risky gamble every game.
The Canadiens lost 2-1 in Game 4 at the Bell Centre. Louis has shown throughout the season that he trusts his depth. Now, it’s time to prove it. Matheson, Guhle, Dobson, and Struble can carry a lot. The smartest thing would be for Hutson to come to the rink knowing that he has 23 minutes to give instead of 29, and that his teammates will make up the difference.
Free Newsletter
Get Montreal Canadiens coverage delivered to your inbox
In-depth analysis, breaking news, and the inside scoop – for free.
Register Free →
