When the Vancouver Canucks signed blue-line prospect Ben Hutton out of the University of Maine, they did so with visions of seeing the smooth skating 6-foot-3 defenseman develop into an offensive force from the back-end.

Hutton, a converted forward, scored 24 goals between his junior and sophomore seasons with the Black Bears, but despite his obvious offensive potential, its taken him two weeks and change to get into a game with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets. 

On Wednesday, the 21-year-old defender made his professional debut and it didn’t take long for his impressive combination of speed, offensive awareness and sick shooting ability to show through.

Read past the jump for more.

Early in the second period of Hutton’s first game as a professional hockey player the young offensive defender took a pass in the neutral zone and attacked the Rochester Americans blue line with speed. After making a sick move to dummy an opposing forward, Hutton uncorked his impressive shot and beat Americans goaltender Anthony Peters glove side:

 

(Courtesy: HFBoards)

Not a bad way to start your professional career.

Hutton is very probably Vancouver’s top blue-line prospect – depending on whether you consider Frank Corrado and Adam Clendening to be prospects – and with moves and a shot like that, you can see why.

– with h/t to Ryan Biech.