Cole Hutson is the future of the Washington Capitals defensive corps.
By the Numbers
On-ice percentages
Isolated Impact by HockeyViz
About this visualization: This image by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows how the player has impacted play when on the ice. At the top of the image is the team’s offense (even strength at left, power play at right) and at bottom is the team’s defense (with penalty kill at bottom right). In each case, red/orange blobs mean teams shoot for more from that location on the ice, and blue/purple means less. In general, a good player should have red/orange blobs near the opponent’s net at top, and blue/purple blobs near their own team’s net at bottom. The distributions in middle show how the player compares to league average at individual finishing, setting up teammates to score, and taking and drawing penalties. The number at center is Synthetic Goals: a catch-all number for the player’s impact.
Player Card by Evolving Hockey
About this player card: This card from Josh and Luke of Evolving Hockey compares the player to league averages based on their impact on on-ice statistics. GAR means “goals above replacement,” where “replacement” means an average player called up from the AHL. xGAR is the same figure but assuming league-average goaltending. The numbers at top are the player’s percentile ranks overall and then for offense and defense alone.
Player Overview by NHL Edge
About this visualization: The NHL’s advanced statistics program, Edge, tracks player and puck movement. The player’s shot speed, skating speed, and skating distance are at top along with percentile rank. At bottom left is a shot location map, and at bottom right is zone time per zone.
Gratuitous Generative Art by Peter
Using p5.js, the player’s name is a seed that randomizes a bunch of values in an animated canvas with glitchy effects that should be gradual enough not to mess with people with sensory issues. Not AI. Not all that different from Logo, which I learned in like 1992.
Peter’s Take
65
Percentile among defenders
Age 19 · 5’11” · 175 lbs · 🇺🇸 · ♋️
2025-26 stats
The spring was rough for the Caps – what with a sad trade deadline and plummeting playoff chances. Signing Cole Hutson after his college team got eliminated was a jolt of excitement when we needed it most.
First and foremost, kid’s got wheels. He’s one of the fastest skaters in the league already, and he’s going to get even faster once he eventually hits puberty (he’s 19). He fit in immediately, he had points in eight of his 14 games, and five of his seven assists were primary assists.
With just 203 minutes of five-on-five play, I’m not very concerned about his underlying numbers, which were just below even. When Hutson arrived, my only concern was getting a wild-card slot or third in the Metro. Come fall, there will be a lot more scrutiny on this kid. My gut says he’s ready for it.
Hutson on RMNB
Start here:
Introducing Cole Hutson: What Capitals fans should know about the team’s top defense prospect
Cole Hutson signs three-year, entry-level contract with Washington Capitals
Your Turn
How many goals next season? Twenty?
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