NY Islanders defenseman Grant Hutton wants more than a taste of the NHL

For some New York Islanders fans, it's plausible the the first time you ever heard the name Grant Hutton and saw him play was on Nov. 20, 2021 when the franchise opened up UBS Arena with a COVID-19 impacted lineup and Hutton made his NHL debut against the Calgary Flames.

Hutton went on to play 16 games in the 2021-22 season, getting a feel for the NHL game and scoring his first NHL goal. He averaged 14:11 TOI in those games and finished a -1. The following year was an AHL-only season for the undrafted Hutton, skating in 39 games for Bridgeport. Last season, he got a call-up in late November for two games as the blueline battled injuries.

“I’ve been around this organization for a long time and I’ve gotten a taste of what the NHL is like,” Hutton said in the New York Post. “I’ve said it before but once you get that taste, it’s hard to imagine it any other way. I’m happy to be here.”

He's already carved out an unlikely professional career for himself, but this year, he's potentially poised to earn more than that. While the inside track was believed to have the inside-track to the team's seventh defenseman spot, head coach Patrick Roy commented about his lack of consistency while praising how Hutton handled himself.

One thing that the 29-year-old Hutton is offering Roy and his teammates is the trust factor. As a third-pair defenseman, making the predicable play while not being prone to mistakes is what you want, with anything else a bonus. That's what Hutton has delivered during training camp and the preseason.

"first and foremost to trust when I’m on the ice, one, that I can hold my own," Hutton aded. "Two, that I can contribute to what we’re trying to accomplish here. … When I’m up here, whether I’m playing big minutes or whether I’m limited, my game needs to be consistent. That’s my goal, my way to the NHL.”

NHL rosters are due to the league office by 5pm on Monday.