Vancouver Canucks: 3 Players Headed for Breakout Seasons
D Ben Hutton
Wow. Just wow. Who would have seen that rookie season coming?
Ben Hutton went to Canucks camp as a former fifth-round pick who had spent the past three seasons with the University of Maine in the NCAA. All prospects go to camp saying “I will work hard and try to compete for a roster spot” but they rarely succeed. In 2015, Hutton was one of three junior players who actually did earn a roster spot in training camp — the other two being Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann.
While both Virtanen and McCann had to watch several games from the press box, Hutton appeared in 75 games, missing seven with a lower-body injury. Also unlike Virtanen and McCann, Hutton saw an average of 20 minutes of ice time each game, including minutes on the top pairing and power play. In fact, Hutton ranked third (!) on the team in total ice time, trailing only Daniel Sedin and Chris Tanev.
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Last but certainly not least, Hutton was on Team Canada’s roster for the IIHF World Championship. You know, the real tournament. Not the junior version Virtanen attended.
Many young players, like the Canucks’ very own Bo Horvat, tend to fall into a little “sophomore slump” or have at least a bad first half of their sophomore season. Ben Hutton, however, is in the perfect situation to break out as a top-pairing player and push veteran Alex Edler down the depth chart. The reason is Erik Gudbranson.
In 2015-16, Hutton actually spent most of his ice time playing alongside Yannick Weber or Luca Sbisa. Weber is an offensive defenseman, who is famous for his defensive troubles. Sbisa is more of a defensive player, but he was often a liability as well. So, instead of focusing on his own offensive game, Hutton had to cover for his teammates and make sure they didn’t do anything stupid in their own end — that shouldn’t be a rookie’s task.
Still, Hutton recorded a goal and 25 points, leading all Canucks defensemen. This year, he will most likely have defensive D-man Erik Gudbranson on his side. If Gudbranson can make sure the puck doesn’t get too close to the net, Hutton gets more freedoms with the puck. Perfect for him to show that his first year wasn’t a fluke, and that he can be used on the top pairing consistently.
Next: C Brandon Sutter