There's of course Nick Suzuki and Cole Caulfield's steps forward in assuming their roles as franchise players, both leading the club with 43 and 42 points, respectively. But Hutson is running the defensive corps, averaging 22:42 per night, which gives him a serious edge on Celebrini and Michkov for the campaign's best rookie.

Hutson's offensive exploits are well known, but his ability to perform in a mistake-free environment has been under-appreciated.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is leading all rookie defensemen in scoring, and is eligible to sign a contract extension after July 1st.