NHL EDGE stats comparison: Quinn Hughes vs. Lane Hutson 

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats.

Today, we compare the underlying metrics of defensemen Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens ahead of their matchup Saturday at Rogers Arena (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, TVAS).

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Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson are two of the NHL’s most-dynamic defensemen, and each ranks in the upper echelon in various advanced stats categories.

Hughes, 26, is a past Norris Trophy winner, voted the NHL’s top defenseman in 2024, while Hutson, 21, won the Calder Trophy last season as the League’s top rookie. Hughes finished second in the Calder race in 2019-20 behind Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche.

Saturday will mark the second head-to-head matchup of their young careers; the first came on Jan. 6 in Montreal, when both players had multiple points and led their teams in ice time as the Canadiens won the game, 5-4 in overtime. Hutson had one of his two primary assists on the overtime goal by Montreal captain Nick Suzuki.

Among defensemen who have played at least one NHL season, Hughes ranks second in career points per game (0.94) behind Makar (1.08), with Adam Fox of the New York Rangers (0.85; third) and the up-and-coming Hutson (0.82; fourth) next on the list. But, this season, Hutson is second among defensemen in points (eight in nine games), ahead of Hughes (five in eight games), and leads NHL defensemen in even-strength points (seven; Hughes has one).

Here are three comparable underlying metrics between Hughes and Hutson:

1. Skating speed

Hutson has more 20-plus mile per hour speed bursts (26; third among defensemen) than Hughes (21; tied for fifth at position) this season. Hutson also ranks highly among defensemen in max skating speed (22.91 mph; 98th percentile; fifth at position) and ahead of Hughes (21.88 mph; 83rd percentile)

Last season, Hughes had the better max skating speed (24.56 mph; led defensemen; second in entire NHL), but Hutson was close behind (23.77 mph; third at position). Over the past two seasons combined, it’s been a neck-and-neck race in 20-plus mph speed bursts between Hutson (133; tied eighth among defensemen) and Hughes (129; 11th at position). Hutson and Hughes have the same number of 22-plus mph bursts (seven each) over that two-season span.

2. Skating distance

In terms of total skating distance at all strengths, Hughes (31.82 miles; third) and Hutson (30.83 miles; fifth) rank among the highest-workload skaters in the entire NHL this season – separated by less than one mile. At even strength, Hutson ranks second among all skaters (26.36 miles) behind his teammate Mike Matheson (27.44), while Hughes is fifth (25.51).

Last season, when Hughes was limited to 68 games because of injury, Hutson ranked slightly higher in average miles skated per 60 minutes (8.94; 89th percentile among defensemen) compared to Hughes (8.83; 83rd percentile).

3. Offensive zone time percentage

This season, Hughes ranks fifth among defensemen in offensive zone time percentage (47.6; 98th percentile), ahead of Hutson (45.6; 89th percentile at position). Last season, Hughes ranked fourth among defensemen in that category (47.2; 99th percentile), ahead of Hutson (44.9; 91st percentile). In terms of offensive zone start percentage last season, Hutson ranked in the 94th percentile (43 percent) as a rookie, slightly ahead of Hughes (42 percent; 91st percentile).

Hughes has a distinct advantage in some other key advanced stats, including hardest shot and all three shots by location categories (high-danger, midrange and long-range shots on goal), and is clearly the Canucks’ most valuable player. But although Hughes, who’s in his eighth NHL season, is a more-accomplished defenseman than Hutson at this stage of their careers, Hutson’s advanced metrics suggest his ceiling could be just as high down the road.

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