Habs Daily: Hutson ELC, Potential Impact, Canadiens Lottery Odds

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Friday.

Montreal Canadiens News

• It’s official, top prospect Lane Hutson has signed his entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Hutson was recently eliminated from the Frozen Four when the Boston University Terriers lost 2-1 to the Denver Pioneers. His contract kicks in this season, serving as a reward for signing an early deal with the team that drafted him.  [Top Canadiens Prospect Lane Hutson Signs Entry-Level Contract]

• Hutson is expected to join the team in Detroit, ensuring his NHL debut will take place against the Red Wings, as they will face the Canadiens in back-to-back games to close out the 2023-24 season. Head coach Martin St-Louis is likely to ease Hutson into the lineup, as the 20-year-old has had a very busy year. Once Hutson is comfortable, he will have the potential to be a game-changing player for the Habs. Juraj Slafkovksy, in particular, could benefit greatly from Hutson’s presence on the powerplay.  [Canadiens Prospect Hutson’s Impact On The Team And Slafkovsky]

• With just three games left on the docket, the team’s Draft Lottery odds are yet to be settled. Saturday’s game between the Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators will go a long way in deciding where both teams will end up drafting at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.  [Canadiens Tank Watch: Lottery Odds Decided In Final Games]

• Both Hutson and fellow Canadiens prospect Jacob Fowler were named to the NCAA All-American All-Star team.

• The Michigan native will wear No.48, at least for now.

• The NHL is preparing to confirm Montreal will be one of the two host cities for the upcoming 4 Nations Faceoff tournament.

National Hockey Now Network

• New Jersey Devils top prospect Seamus Casey is now free to sign his first NHL contract. Casey’s NCAA season came to an end last night when the No. 1 seeded Boston College blanked Michigan 4-0 in the Frozen Four semifinal matchup. [New Jersey Devils]

• Since Patrick Roy retired, it’s been a yearly tradition to question whether or not the Colorado Avalanche are strong enough in net to win the Stanley Cup. Even a guy like Darcy Kuemper, coming off a Vezina-calibre regular season in 2022 where he won 37 games and posted a .921 save percentage, hadn’t quite convinced everyone he was good enough to get the job done. [Colorado Avalanche]

• Forgive Spencer Stastney if his celebrations still need work. When the Nashville Predators rookie defenseman tapped in a critical third-period goal Tuesday – which helped his team clinch a playoff berth in their 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets – Stastney barely moved until Roman Josi and Kiefer Sherwood enveloped him in a congratulatory hug. [Nashville Predators]

By Marc Dumont

Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The ... More about Marc Dumont