Quinn Hutson is 24, does not have terrific foot speed and despite college scouting reports that suggested he was a strong two-way player, hasn’t played a second of PK time for the Oilers in eight preseason games. What’s a player to do in this situation? Score goals. Many many goals.
Hutson scored 30 goals last season in the AHL. That tells us he can score. It also tells us the Oilers don’t see him as a fit for the current team, or he would have been recalled and inserted into the lineup long before he scored 30 goals last season.
Hutson is a right winger, and Zach Hyman was hurt a year ago and is hurt now. Why isn’t Hutson in the NHL? The Oilers don’t see him as superior to Hyman (injured), Matt Savoie (injured), Vasily Podkolzin (on the top line) and all of Kasperi Kapanen, Mathieu Joseph or Trent Frederic.
Mike Babcock is the new coach and didn’t see Hutson much, so the young winger will have to score goals on the regular to get noticed.
In two AHL games this season, he has scored twice and added an assist. In 72 career AHL games, he has 35 goals. He scored 30 goals as an AHL rookie. Do you know how many Oilers prospects have scored 30 goals as AHL rookies? Mike Toal, Fabien Joseph, Tomas Srsen, Steven Rice, Rem Murray, Quinn Hutson.
There are just two players who “made it” on that list, and one was an average sized player who approached the game like a power forward and paid the price phystically, the other was Rem Murray. So, Hutson has a long road to go and must regain a reputation for strong two-way play. He does seem to have the scoring touch, but its mostly power play and he’s never going to see that part of the game in Edmonton.
The one advantage Hutson owns over many scoring prospects in the past? The competition isn’t strong. Once the team makes the call on Howard, Hutson is at the top of the list.
The numbers in the graph are even-strength scoring totals from last season’s Condors. Some air gets let out of the tires for Hutson, and I don’t know why they didn’t bring back Roby Jarventie. Hutson is below Josh Samanski in even strength points from a year ago, and the Oilers sent Samanski (a player with far more utility) out before recalling him when injuries hit.
Hutson is in a family of players who are long shots to make the NHL. He could improve in the areas needed from third and fourth line wingers (PK, forecheck, outscoring) and he has to fill the net and hope for an opportunity. What are his chances? Murray and Rice represent 33 percent of that list of 30-goal rookies I posted above. I think that’s a little high for Hutson, we would put it at about 25 percent. More if he improves his reputation as a two-way type.
On the Lowdown today, Rachel Kryshak (12:40) and Jason Gregor (1:20) are the feature guests. We’ll talk about that impressive Saturday effort by the Oilers, the trade rumours around the team, the Elks closing in on the division title and MLB’s October games. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.
Coach answers:
How’s Dickinson looking? “Like he hasn’t played.”
Can he play on the road trip? “I’m hoping so”.
Bouch is better than Babcock know. They are challenging Bouchard to be better without the puck.
Lots of time on forecheck and neutral zone today – lots of angling work.
Zary is almost $4MM and has been declining year over year. It’s not a realistic claim for the Oilers I don’t think.
Connor Zary on waivers….
Levi will start against the Ducks and Jarry in the afternoon game in San Jose.
Makes sense.
so the Ovie farewell tour begins
I sure hope the Oilers don’t claim ___ off waivers. Sure, I’ll take him over Jones (although not really at the materially higher cap hit) but this is a player that does not crack this lineup when near healthy and he is not a penalty killer, having killed a total of 7 minutes in his entire career.
Do not take on this cap hit for a player that is likely 15F on the depth chart.
Eyssimont cleared – yay, I had a bad feeling (and don’t know why his name didn’t show up in my initial post…)
That would look like a lateral trade. Stastney for Eyssimont. I believe he’s one of these guy’s that can play all three forward positions.
But is Dickinson back?
Bouchard named NHL second star of the week.
Who was the 1st star Moses.
Basically. Shesterkin with 2 wins, .934 save percentage along with 1 goal and 1 assist.
Probably the only week Bouch doesn’t win it with numbers like those.
I think the snub to make way for Shesty is fair though.
Without McDraiBouch on the ice the Oilers are being outscored 2-7. Hopefully this improves as the team gets healthy and guys get placed properly in the depth chart.
Truth. Drai and 97 on one line will only work for so long and for certain teams. I think they may try to keep it that way even when health returns. With the split of the 2 stars we have 2 very solid lines and the 3rd would possibly have better options as well.
Will be an interesting watch to see what Babcock does.
Come to think of it I wouldn’t mind seeing Colton Dach & Matt Savoie playing together, maybe throw Leon Draisaitl in the middle.
With the logjam in Edmonton, there may simply not be a spot for Hutson right now, but that’s different from saying he isn’t an NHL player. His shot, hockey IQ and offensive instincts are NHL caliber. At 24, there’s little value in having him spin his wheels in the AHL. With limited draft capital, Edmonton needs to maximize the value of its free-agent signings. Give him meaningful NHL games and either find a role for him or build his value as an asset. How Edmonton handles players like this will matter when the next free agent is deciding where to sign.
Looking forward to seeing if any of Nuge, Dickinson or Hyman are in line rushes today at practice.
All three of them, or none of them could be close.
I am a fan of Quinn, but I’d also agree he’s not a stronger right wing option than Hyman, Savoie, Pod, or Kapanen. Freddy certainly is looking better and if the footspeed holds up I think we might all be able to forget last year, so he too is better than Hutson. Joseph also holds the NHL edge if Hutson isn’t able to do the defensive things as well, or PK.
Hopefully he does keep banging in goals and then likely the best situation for him would be a trade, hopefully as part of a package bringing back something the Oilers need.
Still, he was a worthy bet coming out of college, more like that please.
I don’t see what help Hutson is to this club. To get where they want to go all 12 forwards have to contribute something above taking a skate. I also hope they can find deals for guys like Hutson and Stastney who have talent but aren’t a good fit for these Oilers
The depth is real and spectacular.
Just need Hyman and Savoie back from injury and we’re cooking with gas on the wings.
Centre injuries to be discussed separately 😀
Hutson can score on eve power play. Both goals this season on the PP and he scored on the PP in exhibition.
Sure, we need to give room for year over year development but, as at the end of last season, Issac Howard was a more substantial player at 5 on 5 at both ends of the rink. More dynamic and productive offensively and a harder working 2-way player.
Let’s not forget that Hutson isn’t a great 2-way player, that is a false narrative. His coach criticized him this off seasons for battling harder in the offensive zone than the defensive zone.
There is no reason to give him any reps they won’t give Howard and, no, Hutson does not fit in the bottom six better than Howard.
Simply put, the only difference between Hutson and Howard is that Howard can skate faster.
Howard has shown more competitiveness, more coachability and more impact at even strength and is two years younger.
There is zero comparison.
Agree.
Despite some misgivings about deployment, Howard in a very small sample size is a rocking an EV points > 2 and 50% goal share. Michaels, Formenton, Frederic are performing similarly. I don’t even think he’s fully untracked yet; decision making could be a hair quicker.
It was said that Jones makes Dach worse and thus Dach cannot succeed playing with Jones.
The same is true in reverse. Jones cannot succeed unless paired with a better center than Dach.
They are both very similar in providing Babcock what he wants on a forth line. Big, fast players who can soften up the opposition and break even in goal share.
Put Michaels or Samanski in the middle of the two and you might have a line.
I’m guessing I might be the only poster who has seen Dach good at center. He did make a big mistake on I think the 2nd Vancouver goal in game 1, but other than that has looked solid.
He seems to be moving better at center and I like his work in the ozone. He’s very good at handling the puck and making plays down low, better than most of the bottom 9 right now.
Jones watches his line mate get viciously elbowed in the head and could barely register a yap about it.
Jones seems like he should be a better player then he is yet every club he’s been a part of sends him to the minors. He’s an inconsistent liability on the ice more often then not.
Put Samanski between Dach/Kapanen and everyone is going to have a much better time.
You are dropping Kapanen to forth line?
Jones is NOT an NHL player. He is not even a good AHL player.
Says almighty god
dreger on Nielson’s show this morning talking about the Oilers making a move for a young center in the east still trying to establish himself in the league. Friedman apparently mentioned Boston/Edmonton on 32 thoughts today. I’m going to guess it’s LT’s guy Matthew Poitras coming back for Stastney or Shakir
I would be fine with a Stastney for Poitras trade.
I would be very happy with it
I would do that deal all day, but why would Boston? Poitras is younger and likely has higher upside than Statsney.
You’re probably right. Maybe we add to it or maybe it’s Mukh going the other way. Poitras also looks like he’s coming off a bit of a down year in the AHL.
He had a shoulder injury.
If Hutson can’t make the Oilers due to poor boots, how would Poitras get on the roster?
Poitras is a RHC, 6′ 190, said to have high hockey IQ, which he uses to make up for his lack of footspeed with positioning and great anticipation. He can score goals , is defensively sound and plays on the PK.
Great post, LT.
I’m an unabashed Hutson fan. I’m no scout. But the guy was making plays in his brief stint, size and lack of speed be damned.
How fast do you have to skate if you’re already in the right place?
He’s a very different player IMO from Marody or Benson or Jani Rita. He’s a gamer and he makes plays at the NHL level.
He’s gotta keep hooping, stay positive, and put numbers on the board. I don’t see the AHL stint as a death sentence — let’s see him become a truly dominant player at EV.
Yes, you called?
I kid
It would be great to find a spot to use Hutson on the big club, or failing that to find another team who would want to use him and receive something substantial (not just a draft pick) in return. If the writing is on the wall for Howard, then trade him and give that 4th line spot to Hutson too.
I think Hutson is the new Cooper Marody.