Winning the Calder Trophy as a defenseman is an uphill battle, but it can be done. Just ask last year’s winner, Matthew Schaefer or Lane Hutson.
However, Cole Hutson is not his brother, Lane, and this season’s Washington Capitals are not the 2024-25 Montreal Canadiens.
Without question, Cole Hutson has the talent necessary to win the Calder in a vacuum. He’s extremely talented, with excellent vision, deception and puck-distribution skills. He’s clearly capable of translating the offense he brought to teams at lower levels of hockey to the NHL. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, the season isn’t played in a vacuum.
He’s got a lot stacked against him in this Calder race: the players he’s up against, the structure of the Washington Capitals roster that defines his opportunities, and the aforementioned fact that defensemen generally have a harder time standing out in the ways needed to win.
John Carlson leaving the Capitals could create special teams opportunities for Hutson, which could open the Calder door a bit further. Watch this space—he could emerge as a dark-horse option.