It would be incredibly juvenile for Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin to hold Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson’s performance vs. his team on Tuesday against him.
Right? Everyone’s on the same page about that, at least?
In the game in question, Hutson scored and added a secondary assist on the last-minute 4-3 game-winning goal of Cole Caufield, another U.S. Olympic snub. A day later, the U.S. Olympic team, which Guerin also manages, announced it was replacing injured Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones with Anaheim Duck Jackson LaCombe, bypassing Hutson once again, after leaving the (irrefutable at this point) star rearguard off the initial roster. It’s probably just a coincidence, but it’s hard to justify no matter how you slice it.
Hutson’s U.S. Snub Not a Shock
Now, leaving Hutson off the initial training camp roster this summer wasn’t shocking. Hutson, despite coming off a Calder Memorial Trophy-winning season as the league’s top rookie, must not yet have paid his dues, at least in the eyes of the management of an Olympic entry that clearly favoured those that have contributed to American international success (at the senior level) in the past, especially the country’s historic gold medal at the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship. And, from that perspective, it was even understandable Hutson and Caufield were left off the final roster. However, the status quo should no longer apply, due to extenuating circumstances.
At least in some senses, the LaCombe selection is logical. There’s obviously a degree of loyalty there. He was a member of that championship team. Plus, at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, LaCombe is undeniably bigger than Hutson (5-foot-9, 162 pounds). However, what proponents of this decision are choosing to ignore or actively diminish is how Hutson’s two game-changing points against the Wild slid him into a tie with Columbus Blue Jacket Zach Werenski for second place overall in terms of points by a defenseman this season and a tie with Werenski for the most by an American defenseman.
Werenski made the U.S. team. As did the next-highest-ranking American defenseman, Quinn Hughes (coincidentally of the Wild), who is fifth. LaCombe, while far from a horrible choice with 31 points in 49 games, ranks 19th, tied with Noah Dobson, which should provide some valuable context for any New York Islanders fans, who may feel conflicted between defending Guerin’s decision while still wishing Dobson a hearty good riddance.
Related: Canadiens Replace Savard on Defense and Then Some with Dobson
Now, is it possible the U.S. brass holds LaCombe in such high esteem that they’re just ignoring any and all other possible replacement candidates, like John Carlson of the Washington Capitals (who ranks 10th in scoring among defensemen) and Shayne Gostisbehere of the Carolina Hurricanes (who ranks 16th)? Sure.
It’s also possible the U.S. is simply trying to round out their defense as much as possible, going for more size, with Hughes fitting a similar profile as Hutson. However, after a historic rookie season, Hutson is in the midst of silencing doubters who considered it a one-off. More to the point, he’s literally within two points of Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche for the outright scoring lead among defensemen, and the mere suggestion Canada would leave him off their roster would be grounds for a suggestion to get your head examined.
A Bias Against Hutson?
Some may believe the U.S. is biased against Hutson because of comments his father made last offseason, when he said switching sides to Canada (as he holds dual citizenship) is on the table. However, soon thereafter Hutson himself quashed any rumours to that effect when he very unequivocally shared an intention to continue to play for the country in which he was born (if that country would ever have him, anyway).
So, Guerin hypothetically holding that against him would be incredibly juvenile and hard to imagine. Yet, here we are. To be fair, it appears to be more of a bias towards LaCombe than a bias against Hutson. However, a bias is still a bias, impossible as it may be to prove.
Objectively, Hutson is the superior player, one who’s in the midst of making more of a difference on a superior NHL team. And, judging by Hutson’s career trajectory, he’ll only continue to, especially on the strength of two weeks of rest next month.
U.S. Painting Itself into Olympic Corner
Look at it this way: Even if you’re of the belief the U.S. is in the right here, choosing LaCombe, to let’s say “diversify” the make-up of their defensive corps as much as possible, how does that reasoning hold up four years from now? Is the U.S. still going to choose LaCombe over Hutson to diversify their defensive corps with more size (with the degree to which he uses it being open to some debate), if Hutson continues to outproduce, and, let’s not kids ourselves, outplay him?
How about eight years from now? It’s understandable the U.S. would want to hand off the baton to the next generation here, going with LaCombe over Carlson and Gostisbehere. However, Hutson has established himself as more of an impact player in the NHL over a similar sample size of games (which blows any argument speaking to the need for more experience out of the water). So, the decision to go with LaCombe over Hutson is interesting to say the least.
Likely overjoyed for him for the significant accomplishment, some Canadiens fans are lamenting how Nick Suzuki was selected by Team Canada, because of potential adverse effects of his participation on his energy level down the stretch (and the risk of injury). However, it’s kind of a situation where, if you’re a Habs fan, you have no choice but to take it in stride and enjoy seeing your team’s most valuable player on the international stage.
It’s the opposite situation with regard to Hutson, but it yields a similar result. There’s no choice but to accept what’s happened and enjoy. If this is how Hutson plays fatigued, there should be a lot to enjoy if you’re a Canadiens fan down the stretch. And, if this is how the U.S. goes about deciding who makes its Olympic roster, there should be a lot for Montrealers to enjoy this February (and potentially many Olympics to come), even if only to merely relish the opportunity to say, “Told you so.”
Juvenile as it may be, it would be well-warranted.
