After a laugher in game one against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a different Montreal Canadiens group put forward a much more polished effort in their preseason rematch. Taking a 4-2 win on the road, it was a lineup featuring a number of players jockeying for positions either with Laval or the Habs to start the upcoming season.
There was one player who isn’t worried about his spot in the slightest, but is still trying to add more layers to his game.
Lane Hutson has been working on that shot. #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/kkj2IF4XBx
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) September 28, 2025
Lane Hutson’s bread and butter has, and will likely always be playmaking. But we’ve all seen the footage of him showing up early to practice, staying late, and putting a ton of focus on his shooting mechanics to address the one weakness in his offensive game. It appears to be paying off, as his shot seems to have a little more zip to it than it did when he broke into the league last season.
He’ll never have a Shea Weber clapper, nor a Cole Caufield wrister, but if he can force opponents to respect his shot threat a little more, it will open up a ton of opportunities in the offensive zone. On his goal, we saw how his deceptive movement pre-shot makes it very difficult to defend, and just a bit more velocity will go a long way for him.
Perhaps the most impressive trait Hutson has is that despite his undeniable skill, he does not stop trying to improve. He proved a lot of doubters wrong last year, and now he’s looking to prove that his breakout season was no fluke.
You don’t want to read too much into the preseason, but if I’m right about that shot getting better, the rest of the league should be terrified of what he might do when the games start to count.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. There are just two more preseason games remaining, both against the Ottawa Senators, and we’ll be back for the first of those on Tuesday night.
