Cole Hutson

April 2024 – Plain to say, Cole Hutson has not hit the strides many predicted he would, but there’s little doubt to what he brings to the table. Hutson’s all about skating into the offensive zone, assessing his options and making a quick pass or finding an open lane to get the puck somewhere dangerous. It’s been a bit of a mixed bag, early in the season he was known to feel himself a bit too much and get himself into hot water; that’s gotten better as the season’s gone on but at the cost of some daring-do. Lately, Hutson’s been keeping it simple and he’s been finding reasonable success with it. He’s slowly getting his swagger back too, but the concerns are evergreen. The defensive game, where he’s a revolving door on the rush and along the boards. There’s a tinge of worry for how often he’s been spotted with his head down in open-ice and there’s some questions to the validity of an NHL defenseman of his caliber without high-end dynamism. Hutson has fought back by limiting the amount of opportunities opponents have to expose his flaws by playing a more possession oriented game. He’s not as boom/bust as he’s made out to be, but there may be a lower ceiling then was initially hoped. David Saad

April Ranking: 52nd

November 2023 – Cole Hutson has been the most dichotomized prospect in our viewings so far this year. Offensively, he flashes brilliant skill, combined with advanced anticipation, creativity, deception, and processing speed. On the other hand, his defensive play has turned a fair few hairs on our heads gray already. His loose gap control, very inconsistent defensive scanning both against the rush and the cycle, and perception of secondary scoring threats have all plagued our early viewings and contributed to his fall outside our top 20, despite the elite skill in a class lacking just that. Hutson loves having the puck on his stick and is upstaged only by James Hagens among USNDTP puck carriers this year. His on-puck toolkit is even more dynamic and refined than Lane’s was in his draft year, featuring far more fluidity in his skating, a significantly higher top speed, and the offensive aggression that his brother only fully leaned into when he hit the NCAA. Hutson could easily rocket up our board with increased consistency in his play and a bit of polishing on his defensive game as the season progresses, but for now, he falls at 24. Sebastian High (November Rankings: 24th Overall)