The Washington Capitals may have found their future number-one defender in Cole Hutson, who they drafted at 43rd overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Last season, he scored three goals and added seven assists for ten points through 14 games, and proved to be able to keep up at the NHL level.
In a recent article from The Hockey News, Frank Zawrasky asked Porter Martone, Cole Hutson and another Capitals prospect, Andrew Cristall, for their Calder Trophy picks, which is awarded to the league's best rookie.
"You saw what Cole did last year going up," Martone said.
Vegas Golden Knights' prospect Trevor Connolly predicted Hutson would win "for sure," and Cristall said that he thought it would come down to either Hutson or Martone.
At the end of last season, Hutson said, "I've learned a lot... it was an unbelievable experience for me, I learned so much so fast about the game and how hard it really is to play at this level consistently. So, it's just a head start for next year, and hopefully, I'm ready to kind of stay in the league."
Hutson is expected to lead the Capitals' power play and be a key piece of their defensive depth, as the Capitals push for a playoff spot.
After several strong additions in the offseason, the Capitals seem poised to make a deep run and push for their first Stanley Cup since 2018, and their second in franchise history, and Hutson could be one of the key reasons they have success this season.
It's hard to bet against Hutson this season, who seems like a dominant offensive producer. It wouldn't be surprising if he pushes for the rookie of the year award, and it's not crazy to say that he could receive votes for the Norris Trophy as well, which is awarded to the league's best all-around defender.
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