Washington isn\u2019t alone in thinking Hutson could be NHL ready by the end of this season. BU coach Jay Pandolfo wouldn\u2019t mind if he stayed longer, though.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe really is a special player,\u201d said Pandolfo, a former NHL forward and two-time Stanley Cup champion with the New Jersey Devils (2000, 2003). \u201cSo, just like I thought Lane was ready to go when he went, it\u2019s not going to surprise me at all to think that Cole will be ready to go after this season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hutson\u2019s inclination to be patient with his decision is a sign of his maturity. He learned a lot during his freshman year, battling through a slow start — he had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in his first 15 games — before a four-point outburst (two goals, two assists) in a 4-2 victory against the University of Massachusetts on Dec. 11. That game, his final one before the World Junior Championship, served as a springboard for his play in that tournament and the second half with BU.<\/p>\n
Hutson said he believes he has more to learn this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of cliche, but becoming a pro before you\u2019re a pro,\u201d Hutson said. \u201cLittle details, getting in the gym early, rolling out, getting to the rink early, guiding the team when they need guidance, stepping up for your team in big moments. Just little details like that that will make you stand out, that will make the Washington Capitals want me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having Lane as a resource to lean on as he goes through the experience helps.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and him bounce things off each other all year round,\u201d Cole said. \u201cEveryone knows I had a tough start to the year. I always leaned on him for advice. He\u2019d call me after every game I felt like I didn\u2019t play great, and I did the same for him. … That\u2019s what brothers are for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having coached each player, Pandolfo said he sees obvious similarities between Cole and Lane. He sees differences in how they play, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Cole is more physical than Lane is, but I think the thing that separates both guys is their ability to read the ice and their anticipation, their puck control, how strong they are on their skates, their edges,\u201d Pandolfo said. \u201cThey\u2019re very similar that way, but it\u2019s their hockey sense that separates them and their competitiveness. Both of those guys\u2019 competitiveness is off the charts.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Cole chooses to turn pro after his sophomore year like Lane did, the Capitals will welcome him. But first, he’s looking to have another big season with BU.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect him to have a terrific year this year, so you can\u2019t worry about [his decision on turning pro] until it comes,\u201d Pandolfo said. \u201cBut he\u2019s going to be a big part of our group this year. I\u2019m looking forward to watching him. I know he\u2019s really excited for this season, too. He\u2019s said it a few times. So, I\u2019m looking forward to it. I know if he\u2019s excited, that\u2019s going to be good for our group.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Washington isn\u2019t alone in thinking Hutson could be NHL ready by the end of this season. BU coach…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":141472,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[293,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-141471","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-nhl","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115019580898811568","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}