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Ben Hutton | #27 | D


Samk

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ESPN article on Hutton from Oct.17th

Hutton's best defense is his offense

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- It could be perceived as offensive weakness. Or it could be an intimation of incredible individual ability.

Whatever you call it, the University of Maine hockey team had the rare distinction of a defenseman leading the team in goals scored last season. No, his name was not Bobby Orr.

That curious honor went to second-team All-American blueliner Ben Hutton, who lit the lamp a school record 15 times in 2013-14. That was one goal more than forward Devin Shore buried last year. Both players are back this season, buoying hopes for a bounce back season after the Bears finished a rather pedestrian 16-15-4 last season under first-year coach Red Gendron.

When asked if he's ever been on a team in his long playing and coaching career in which a defenseman led the team in goals scored, the grizzled UMaine head coach tilted his head slightly, ran his hand through his coarse hair and replied flatly, "Nope. Never."

That's Hutton in a nutshell: head-scratching ability and uncommon versatility. Shore, a second-round draftee of the Dallas Stars and a fellow second-team All-American, is the designated sniper on the team and is expected to improve his numbers this year. But Hutton is the man who makes plays all over the ice, quarterbacks the breakout and is the catalyst to Maine hockey busting through plateaus this year.

"He can make plays," Gendron said. "He's got above-average offensive ability for a player at this level. But he's also a very advanced defender, so even though he's got this offensive ability, he is also a very complete defenseman."

Despite his ability to shut down opposing teams' top lines, Hutton feels at home on the rush, jump-starting the offense from deep in his own end.

.......

"I'm not afraid to mix it up," Hutton says with a smile. "When I get the chance to lower the boom on someone, I will. ..."


http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/11717549/maine-black-bears-defenseman-ben-hutton-was-top-scorer-last-season


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I'm kinda hoping he sticks around for his senior year. It doesn't look like we're going to be shaking many defenseman contracts from the depth chart after this season.

Corrado may be up here next year full time opening a spot in Utica. Cedarholm and Subban are likely to join him so It will be interesting to see who goes on Utica to make space.

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I'd like Hutton to play out his NCAA career. The NCAA is good hockey and many players can jump into the NHL right away, or the AHL with ease. He'll come more developed and we aren't in need of immediate help for defencemen.

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we're in need of an NHL ready, top 4 defenseman. D depth on the farm isn't that much of an issue right now.

NHL ready (or at least near NHL ready) D depth on the farm most certainly is.

We have any injuries requiring more than one call up and we're in trouble.

Edited by J.R.
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Unless we're getting nailed with 3-4 injuries we're fine. Defence has been been playing fine when they're healthy, Corrado could be sheltered on the 3rd pairing if we need to call him up. Andersson was solid in pre-season, Sanguinetti might get a call-up.

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Unless we're getting nailed with 3-4 injuries we're fine. Defence has been been playing fine when they're healthy, Corrado could be sheltered on the 3rd pairing if we need to call him up. Andersson was solid in pre-season, Sanguinetti might get a call-up.

Yeah that's fine if guys like Sbisa, Stanton, Weber etc get hurt. If we have more than one injury to our top 4, we're in bad shape.

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