Ben Hutton landed on Long Island on Monday night and was still catching up with the whirlwind at the end of practice Tuesday morning. Still meeting people, still getting adapted to his surroundings, still trying to catch his breath, not having had a real NHL practice yet this season.
That’s life on a professional tryout contract, which is what Hutton — unsigned through the summer — inked with the Islanders on Monday.
The lefty defenseman, age 33 with a résumé that includes a Stanley Cup win with Vegas in 2023, was languishing with his personal trainer and skills coach in Ottawa at this time, oh, two days ago.
Now he’s doing everything in his power to turn a 10-day tryout into a permanent contract with an Islanders club that badly needs some stability on its back end following an injury to Ryan Pulock.
“I never really experienced something like this,” Hutton said. “I’ve been in the league for a long time now. Thought I had a good year [last season], nothing came of it. I just kept my work boots on, staying ready. Waiting for an opportunity and here we are now. Gotta make the most of it.”
Hutton is not eligible to dress for the Islanders unless he signs an actual contract — while on a PTO, he can only practice and travel. Aside from the obvious organizational need, the reason to believe that might happen is that it was Pete DeBoer’s Golden Knights who signed Hutton in 2021.
“He made himself an important part of that group for four or five years on a really deep defense, on a really good team,” DeBoer said. “So I think he’s versatile, he’s experienced. He was playing deep into the playoffs last year. And again, I think the situation there was, he was behind a lot of really good defensemen the last five, six years at arguably the best defense in the league, or at least in that conversation.”
Hutton was scratched for most of the Knights playoff run last season, playing six games in the second round and once in the conference final. He profiles as a capable third-pair defenseman which, if you are the Islanders — who cobbled together a third pair of Matt Kessel and Scott Mayfield, with Kessel playing his off side, for a 4-0 shellacking at the hands of the Oilers over the weekend — sounds pretty good.
First, though, Hutton has to catch his breath, and earn a full-time contract. One thing at a time.
“Today was a good skate,” he said. “Trying to get my hockey lungs back there. As much as you skate one-on-one, you know the 5-on-5’s a different beast. It’s fun to be out here and get to learn the guys a little more.”
