Lane Hutson is an exciting, offensive-minded defender who has quick feet and even quicker hands. With his quick stride, high-end agility, and footwork, he is one of the most elite skating blueliners the class has to offer. He loves jumping into the rush and carrying the puck up the ice from the defensive zone. He has a lot of patience with the puck on his stick, allowing him to scan the entire ice surface for a lane of attack. A fearless offensive player, he is never afraid to use his speed and creativity to exploit opposing players in one-on-one situations. His physical traits can pose a bit of an issue for him, especially when trying to adjust to the NHL or even the NCAA. His frame limits the range he has while defending, particularly when defending the rush. It’s difficult for him to use his body to angle opponents away from the center of the ice, and when he does try to cut off a lane with his body or his stick, he overextends himself, making vulnerable to quick changes of direction. His defending improves in close quarters situations when his reach isn’t as big of an issue, but he will want to add some strength to his frame to help improve his close-quarters defending. With his high offensive ceiling and defensive issues, it’s not unreasonable to qualify him as a potential boom-or-bust player, but there is a solid foundation present in his game. His positives easily outweigh his negatives, and drafting Hutson likely gets you a top-four defenseman who can run your top power play unit for a long time. In a class loaded with quality defensemen, Hutson, for both his flaws and positive characteristics, might just be the most exciting defenseman in the entire draft. He’s certainly already one of the most dynamic.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide