Photo Credit: Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

That was probably the worst title in the world, but hey, hockey twitter will love it. Anyway, we’re bringing the roundtable back to Canucks Army as well! So many weekly features, I know. For those who aren’t aware, the roundtable involves a group of the staff all taking in the same question and giving a medium lengthed answer. From there, it’s up to you to tell us who made the most sense, and offer up something for us to tackle next Friday.

This week, our question was: Should Ben Hutton stay up with the Canucks? Answers after the jump.

I’ve never been a fan of drafting defenseman – outside of clear generational talents – as high as people think they should go, and Ben Hutton is a pretty good example of why. A former forward who shifted back to the blue line, there’s a lot about Hutton’s game that grew during his time at U. Maine; like most defensemen, his first few years of developmental hockey outside of the juniors were make or break time. He’s got great underlying offensive instincts, but he’s got a clear vision of what his responsibilities are behind the blue line.

The biggest risk you run into with a player like Hutton is sitting them; what Hutton still needs to learn at the NHL level are instinctual reactions at the speed of the pro game, which he won’t get sitting in the press box. If you keep him up as your extra defenseman, you’re wasting an opportunity to give him ample time in all situations; at that point, the AHL is where he belongs. If you trust him enough to play moderate minutes and gain some experience on special teams? He could be part of what makes this year go well. Keep him. 

The question isn’t so much “should he” as much as it is “will he”.

Hutton has been excelling for the last two seasons in the NCAA, despite Maine not being overly great. Last year, the Black Bears were a 50.1% Corsi team at even strength, and the year prior, they were at the bottom of the league in goals for and against. 

Our research regarding prospects tells us that point production rates are relatively consistent with future potential and that, when available, shots are an even better indicator, as they’re less subject to variance. Being able to produce in a higher talent league suggests an even higher likelihood of success, and the NCAA is comparable to the AHL in terms of production of talent. Hutton has been consistently producing over three shots per game; elite totals for a forward, let alone a defenceman. Despite how bad his team has been, it’s easy to infer that Hutton is doing the right things and driving play towards the offensive zone; a very good sign for his potential ceiling.

Now that he’s hit the professional stage, scaffolding theory would suggest that Hutton should be in the NHL to continue his development. So far, he’s looked great, and the numbers line up; his even-strength Corsi has been positive through six games (58 for, 56 against).

In my opinion, he should be playing in the NHL to start the season. However, things get trickier when you look at the veterans ahead of him, and the fact that he’s waiver exempt and Frank Corrado is not. If he stays up with the team but doesn’t play, he’s not developing, so with everything considered, I’d rather him get top-pairing ice time with the Comets than sit in the press box.

I remember writing Ben Hutton’s prospect profile this summer and having to constantly tell myself to tone down the enthusiasm. An especially perplexing fact, given that I’d ranked him 15th overall myself. Frankly, though, the further I went with my research, the clearer it became that the Canucks might very well have something in this kid. He’s a fantastic skater, with plus offensive abilities. Of course, these qualifiers for young defenders often come with defensive concerns, but I’ve grown increasingly certain that they are greatly overstated in the case of Hutton.

I can’t foresee any scenario where Hutton makes the team, though. The Canucks are looking at carrying an excess of forwards on their 23-man roster and that means they will likely carry seven defenders. Risking Frankie Corrado on waivers to accommodate a solid maybe in Hutton seems shortsighted and perhaps a little foolhardy. I think he’s considerably further along than originally anticipated and there’s value in that to be sure. Still, I don’t think it will make or break the Canucks seasons to have Hutton in the lineup (unless it’s in Luca Sbisa’s place). I also think it could benefit Hutton to see huge minutes with the Comets, where he’s likely to play on the first pairing and both special teams.

He *should* make it insofar as he is fulfilling every challenge the management group has publicly made regarding their young players. When you hear “if a player deserves to be here, we’ll make room for them”, then the ideal response from a prospect would be exactly what Ben Hutton has done. For most of the six games he has played this preseason, he has been the best defenceman in the Canucks lineup. He leads the team in points with 5, racking up 4 well-earned assists with long distance passes and drawing opponents towards him to create space for shooters. It wasn’t until last night in Edmonton that he finally made a mistake (costing the team a goal), and yet following that he played another fantastic game.

So yes, he should be on the team. But sometimes should does not equal will. There are seven waiver eligible defensemen already, and as strong as Hutton has been, I don’t believe he’s going to be forcing a trade. My gut tells me that he’ll head to Utica and that’s okay. He can still learn a lot from playing top minutes in the American League. Besides, history tells us that it won’t be long until injuries necessitate a recall – and Hutton should be at or near the top of that list.