The Washington Capitals are ready to sign Cole Hutson if he decides this season is his last in the NCAA with Boston University.<\/p>\n
Hutson is currently in the middle of his sophomore year with the Terriers, posting 21 points (7g, 14a) through his first 21 games. Caps general manager Chris Patrick updated where the team stands with their top unsigned prospect when he met with the media on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I\u2019d say very similar to the situation with [Ryan Leonard] last year, where I\u2019m leaving the player alone but definitely staying in touch with his representation,\u201d Patrick said. \u201cIf he\u2019s ready to come out at the end of the season, we\u2019ll be ready for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old defender will be eligible to sign an entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals after the season. The Caps will be hoping he takes after his older brother, Lane Hutson, who played just two seasons at BU before signing with the Montreal Canadiens in 2024.<\/p>\n
Hutson has spoken about how he\u2019s in no rush to end his college career<\/a>, but also recently mentioned<\/a> that he texts with Capitals forward Ryan Leonard \u201cpretty much every day,\u201d and that he would be super excited and nervous to join Leonard with the Caps \u201cif I\u2019m lucky enough.\u201d He\u2019s also previously\u00a0shared the current Caps players he is most excited to one day play with<\/a>, so his future with the team doesn\u2019t sound uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cPlayers on the team just randomly text sometimes to check in,\u201d Hutson said last month<\/a>. \u201cSomeone from the staff or players reaches out every day or every other day. It shows the kind of organization they\u2019ve built. It\u2019s a lot of pressure, but good pressure. They trust you not to let the culture dip. That\u2019s really cool and super exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n