Already, the Tricolore’s core is very young, and several other youngsters are growing up and will want to carve out a place for themselves with the big club in the near future.

Fans can’t wait to see defensemen Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson in the blue, white and red.

For my part, Hutson is the prospect I’m most looking forward to seeing with the Tricolore, regardless of position.

His style of play is electrifying and can bring a very interesting offensive touch, as he showed us at the end of the 2023-24 season.

But could he be a candidate for the Calder Trophy (awarded to the best rookie) this year?

I don’t see why not, apart from the extra defenseman.

With a good training camp, and ideally one or two extra defensemen traded, the chances are good for the young American.

He has the profile of a player who can win this trophy, even if the race promises to be tight this year.

At first glance, there’s no room in the Habs line-up for a Hutson, since the surplus is always there, especially on the left side.

On the other hand, with a very good training camp, he could force management to make room for him, even if it means playing on the right side.

Justin Barron and Jordan Harris, among others, will have to go through the waivers if they don’t make the club by the start of the season.

Trading them would be a priority if management decides they are no longer part of the team’s future plans.

Although they’re young and don’t command a big salary, teams won’t want to pay a lot for a player who could end up in the waivers.

On the other hand, if a team has one of these defensemen in its sights, it will be willing to trade a draft pick to secure him.

I don’t think the Habs will get more than a 3ᵉ round or 4ᵉ round pick for one of these two defensemen, given the circumstances.

Is it worth sacrificing a little extra defenseman value to give a young Hutson some quality playing time?

We’ll have to wait until Hutson’s training camp to find out where he stands in the organization’s hierarchy of defensemen.

We have to ask ourselves if it’s better for his development to be rushed in the NHL, rather than playing big minutes in Laval and fine-tuning his game.

If he makes the club this fall, he’ll definitely be one to watch for in the Calder race