There wasn’t much discussion when the St. Louis Blues picked up Carter Hutton. The buzz was nonexistent. But the Blues may have just found themselves a gem of sorts in getting Hutton, who might very play a vital role in giving the Blues goalie depth and room to breathe.
Carter Hutton: St. Louis Blues New Hidden Gem
Hutton was signed on the first day of free agency, July 1st, on a two-year deal worth $2.25 million. There are a few reasons why this deal might not have brought much praise, or even gained any attention. For one, Hutton is 30, not that he should been seen as old but he isn’t a young prospect anymore. Possibly the other is the lasting effects of the Brian Elliott trade over the NHL Draft weekend. A fan favourite was sent away, therefore excitement may not have been very high due to the hangover of that move. Despite the lack of the deal being considered a “huge pickup”, Carter Hutton has been solid in net this preseason and throughout his career in general.
Hitchcock said Carter Hutton has been the surprise of camp. "He looks like he's a guy that can really help us, and he's going to."
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 2, 2016
Often times the goalie battles on teams is a major talking point. This has been the case for the Blues the last number of years. Whether it was Jaroslav Halak vs Elliott, or Ryan Miller vs Elliott, and most recently Jake Allen vs Elliott. Something new has happened, there is no battle during the 2016-17 NHL season. The Blues are well aware who the starter is this year, but what Hutton allows is a strong veteran in relief. Starting this season off in mid-October through early November the Blues have quite a few games in short order, along with a trip through Western Canada, that a reliable backup will prove invaluable. Even the first two games of the season are back-to-back. Kicking off the year against heated rivals, the Chicago Blackhawks, a game sure to generate some buzz. And the following night is a home game taking on another central division opponent in the Minnesota Wild.
The Blues could rely on Jake Allen to play the opening back-to-back games, and they might well do just that. Despite that fact, it is a luxury to have Hutton who in the past few years has had no issues in filling in that starter role when problems arose. Having played the past few seasons with the Nashville Predators, Pekka Rinne had his fair share of injury woes, giving Hutton plenty of time between the pipes. Even back in the 2013-14 season, Hutton played 40 games when Rinne went down with a hip injury. He played to the tune of a .910 save percentage, with 2.62 GAA to boot as well. And last season Hutton played in just 17 regular season games with a .918 save percentage and 2.33 GAA, relatively modest numbers in a small sample size.
If there is any downside to the Blues new backup netminder, it’s that he hasn’t played quite as many games since the 2013-14 season as he probably would’ve liked. Just 38 games the past two years, a number that includes postseason play. This hasn’t seem to have been an issue for Hutton and he continues to prove time and time again that he can step up to the plate when given the chance.
The Blues looked to have made a nice little steal in getting Hutton. The term is short, money is low, and the signing doesn’t rush any decisions on the goalies lower down the pecking order. More than likely the pickup of Carter Hutton isn’t going to be a talking point when analysts talk about the Blues next Wednesday when they play against the Blackhawks. But then again, he doesn’t need to be a talking point. Hutton just provides a nice insurance and balance to a Blues year filled with quite a bit of change.
Main Photo:
