According to the latest NHL trade rumors, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ben Hutton has multiple teams interested in him.
It’s NHL trade rumors season. The Vancouver Canucks are going to be sellers this season. They’re clearly focused more on the future than the present. Teams know this and have been giving them some calls. But those calls haven’t been about pending free agents like Thomas Vanek or Erik Gudbranson. Defenseman Ben Hutton has been the guy teams are calling about.
According to News 1130’s Rick Dhaliwal, multiple teams have called about him. Now, the Canucks aren’t necessarily shopping him. Looking at their lack of organizational depth, it’s not hard to see why. But they’re not hanging up when Hutton’s name is brought up.
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The 24-year-old defenseman turns 25 in April. So Hutton’s still a fairly young player. But he’s reaching the point where it’s more likely than not that he is who he is. Hutton has only averaged over 20 minutes per game once in his career (2016-17). However, it’s worth noting he’s averaged over 19:30 of ice time per game in all three of his NHL seasons.
Hutton’s under contract for next season with a $2.8 million cap hit. This season, he has just six assists after putting up 44 points combined in his first two seasons. At even strength, Hutton is averaging 15:12 per game, which is fifth on the team among defensemen.
His cap hit is manageable, especially for a team with some cap space. Hutton’s offense should be a concern, but his possession numbers are still above-average. Since he’s a free agent after the 2018-19 season, the Canucks have some time to listen to offers and consider if he’s an important part of their future.
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They might want to wait until the offseason. The Canucks don’t have much defensive depth in their organization, but they plan to address it by going after college free agents. How well they do in that regard could help them access if trading Hutton is the right move.
Keep up with all the NHL Trade Rumors by checking out our Rumors page.