Hutson Lands on the Top-15 Assists List Again

Lane Hutson has made the NHL's top-15 assists list for the second consecutive time, a notable marker for a defenseman who finished his season with 39 assists and 49 points in 50 games. The recognition lands just as Montreal heads toward training camp, adding a layer of external validation to what the organization has built on the blue line.

Hutson's production from the back end has been one of the cleaner success stories of Montreal's rebuild. At 23.1 minutes of ice time per game, he carried a significant workload and delivered at an elite offensive rate for a defenseman. The repeat appearance on the assists list suggests last season was not a fluke.

The Canadiens also added Juraj Slafkovsky to a separate top-15 assists list this week, giving the organization two players drawing that kind of recognition heading into camp. Montreal's offseason has been focused largely on filling depth around its core — secondary scoring up front, a new defensive signing in Maksymilian Szuber — and Hutson's continued standing reinforces that the top of the defensive group is already in good shape.