Cole Hutson slid into life at the NHL level smoothly for a 19-year-old defenseman, yet even the rookie conceded he was taken aback by how tough it can be to keep certain elite players in check.
Now back home in Boston after Washington wrapped its season a week earlier, Hutson sat down Tuesday on the Morning Cuppa Hockey program co-hosted by Colby Cohen alongside Jonny Lazarus under the Daily Faceoff banner. Over the course of the chat, the hosts asked whether any rivals he lined up against during his 14 appearances for the club had genuinely stood out.
The rookie confirmed a few had. Top of mind was Nathan MacKinnon. By his telling, his opening shift covering the Avalanche dynamo landed him a penalty: he had the center pinned to the wall, only to watch him slip away up the middle, leading Hutson to grab hold of him.
That meeting with the Colorado Avalanche and MacKinnon arrived in only the third pro game of Hutson's career, which Washington dropped 3-2 in extra time. The defenseman, picked in the 2024 second round, collected the opening assist of his pro career that evening and was also whistled for the opening minor of his career, precisely on the sequence he described.
He pointed to John Tavares as another. Hutson described being startled by how effective the veteran remains despite his age, calling him unpredictable and a constant threat in front of the net, where he reliably manages to deflect the puck with his blade and leave defenders guessing whether it will find twine.
The Caps met Tavares and Toronto's Maple Leafs back on the 8th of April, posting a 4-0 shutout. During that contest, the 19-year-old blueliner buried what turned out to be the last of his three goals on the year.
Wrapping up the list was Jack Eichel. The way Hutson framed it, anyone holding a marquee name around the circuit holds it for a legitimate reason.
On the 28th of March, the Capitals visited Eichel along with Vegas' Golden Knights and edged them 5-4 via the shootout. That triumph delivered Hutson the inaugural multi-point night of his career, on the strength of a pair of helpers with the man advantage.
Sharing even-strength shifts with Eichel, Hutson acquitted himself well; during their shared time on the ice, Vegas couldn't muster a single attempt on net. The first-year rearguard further dubbed the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas the finest visiting venue he stepped into.
In his words, nowhere topped Vegas, where he found a packed house playing out under 100-degree temperatures to be incredible.
Having previously singled out a clash with Charlie Coyle, a forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets, as the moment that welcomed him to the league, Hutson looks set to compete across a full slate for Washington next season. Over the 14 outings he logged this spring, the youngster produced three goals and seven assists for 10 points, all while skating an average of 17:27 nightly.