Hutson's Rise Sparks Trade Talks: Canadiens May Be Ready to Make Moves on Key Veterans

Habs fans can still enjoy watching games despite the team's terrible 6-10-2 record for a simple reason: Lane Hutson.

So far this season, the 20-year-old defenseman has 11 points in his rookie year and ranks fourth in Canadiens' scorers, tied with Juraj Slafkovsky.

Many experts believe the time has come for Hutson to get more responsibilities on the ice. If he can maintain that level, there's no doubt that he'll become the Habs' number-one defenseman in no time.

With that in mind, the Habs could explore their trade options for their veteran defensemen, making room for the young core to take charge.

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Jeff Petry trade back in 2022, Matheson, 30, had the best season of his career last year, scoring 62 points, including 11 goals, in 82 games.

This year, the defenseman scored 12 points (one goal), in 18 games. With Hutson slowly becoming a centerpiece of the Habs' defensive unit, the Habs could benefit from trading Matheson away for a forward.

With Patrik Laine still on the injury reserve, the Canadiens could use reinforcements in the top six. However, such elite players come at a hefty price. Matheson could be a valuable asset on the market and he could bring an interesting return to Montreal.

But by keeping him in Montreal, the Habs would get a lot of offensive depth at the blue line. With Hutson and Matheson on two different units on the powerplay, they make their opponents choose their matchups carefully.

In my opinion, Matheson is a part of the solution in Montreal. Unless Hughes receives an incredible offer for the defenseman, it would be surprising to see him being traded this season.