NHL insider Mike Johnson ditches Lane Hutson to pick $2,850,000 Blackhawks star as perfect franchise starter

NHL insider Mike Johnson made his choice clear when asked if he would build a team around Lane Hutson or Connor Bedard. Hutson has been impressive for the Montreal Canadiens. The 21-year-old defenseman leads all NHL rookies with 62 points (five goals, 57 assists) in 74 games.

Speaking on the First Up podcast on Thursday, Johnson picked Bedard.

"Oh my, I mean, I think I would have to take Bedard," Johnson said. "And I say this because I don't think we've seen anything close to what his best form looks like. And that's definitely not like Lane Hutson won't get better."

Hutson recently had back-to-back three-point games against the Florida Panthers. His strong play makes him a top Calder Trophy candidate.

"But I don't know how many more years he's gonna get 60 pluses, like he might get a few more goals," Johnson said. "He might get 75 points in a season or whatever, but... clearly in their careers, Hutson, I guess, had the better first year, but I think the ceiling of Bedard, if it all came together, is a bit higher, maybe."

Bedard, who is signed on a 3-year, $2,850,000 rookie contract, has also had a solid season for the Chicago Blackhawks. The 19-year-old center has 59 points (20 goals, 39 assists) in 75 games. The Blackhawks have a 21-44-10 record and are in a rebuilding phase, but Bedard continues to produce.

Johnson respects Hutson’s success but believes Bedard is the better franchise player.

"So I guess I take it, but that's not question versus selling green," Johnson added. "He's got to be like fourth all-time in defensive rookie scoring all-time. And no one has been on that list in the last like 35 years, not the Makar, not Hughes, not any of those top guys. So he's doing special, special things."

Although Hutson is having a great rookie season, Bedard’s potential is too high to ignore.

Lane Hutson's impressive play helped Montreal defeat Panthers

Lane Hutson helped Montreal win 3-2 in overtime against Florida with three assists in 26:12 minutes of ice time. He has turned out to be a solid two-way player for Montreal.

Josh Anderson scored first by deflecting Hutson’s shot past Vitek Vanecek. Niko Mikkola tied it when his shot deflected off Jake Evans’ stick. Mackie Samoskevich gave Florida a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal.

With nine seconds left, Hutson’s shot rebounded to Nick Suzuki, who scored to tie the game. Suzuki then scored a wraparound goal in overtime to win it. Hutson set a new Canadiens rookie defenseman record with 57 assists.

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Edited by Krutik Jain