Canadiens flush with U.S. college prospects poised to make jump

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Lane Hutson is growing up.

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Literally.

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And that’s good news for the Canadians, who drafted the diminutive defender at the end of the second round (62nd overall) last July.

Hutson was a star in the US National Team Development Program, but teams were wary of his size. On the pre-design combine, Hutson was measured at 5ft 9 and 148lbs. When interviewed by teams, he was carrying a letter from his doctor saying he was going to have a growth spurt.

You should always listen to the doctor.

Hutson, a freshman for the third-placed Boston University Terriers, stands 5ft 10 and has added 10 pounds of muscle mass. He’s still small for a defenseman, but his stature is similar to some other college-educated defensemen who have found success in the NHL

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He’s an inch taller than Torey Krug of the St. Louis Blues. He is an inch shorter than 2021 Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox of the New York Rangers. And he’s an inch shorter than Colorado’s Cale Makar, who has a Calder Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and a Norris to his Stanley Cup ring.

Hutson has nine goals and 21 points in 24 games and has twice been named Hockey East Defenseman of the Month. He’ll likely spend another year in college to get stronger, but there’s a point in the Canadian power game that awaits him.

Hutson is one of several prospective Canadians who have chosen college development.

The player closest to the NHL is Harvard junior Sean Farrell, fourth-round robbery in 2020 (No. 124 overall). The left winger is on the short side at 1.67m but he is a scoring machine with 34 points in 21 games. The only NCAA player with a better point-per-game ratio is Michigan’s Adam Fantilli, who is expected to be in the top three draft this summer.

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Farrell took time off to represent the USA at the Olympics last season and was the team’s top scorer with three goals and three assists in four games. Harvard players tend to stick around and finish their degrees, but Farrell might be an exception. He could go pro and graduate in the summer or online. He proved the latter was possible after the Ivy League canceled hockey during his freshman year. He completed his coursework online and earned 101 points at USHL’s Chicago Steel.

Northeast defenseman Jayden Struble (No. 109 overall in 2020) is in his senior year and will join former teammate Jordan Harris in the pro ranks. A physical stay-at-home guy, Struble has benefited from playing on a structured defensive system. He could be available to kickstart his pro career this spring as Northeastern is up in the air for the NCAA tournament due to a slow start.

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Minnesota-Duluth junior center Blake Biondi (No. 46 overall in 2019) had 17 goals as a sophomore but struggled through the first half of the season with a left shoulder injury and his season ended with a right shoulder injury. He has since had surgery on both shoulders.

Ohio State goaltender Jakub Dobes (No. 136 overall in 2020) is having a solid sophomore season. The 6-foot-5 Czech has a 16-9-1 record with a 2.18 clean sheet average and a .921 save percentage.

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