Cole Hutson is likely headed back to Boston University for his sophomore year.
Jeff Marek reports in the latest edition of “The Sheet Blog” for Daily Faceoff that Hutson doesn’t sound quite ready to forego the rest of his college eligibility to sign with the Washington Capitals. The 18-year-old defender saw his freshman season at BU end last week with a Terriers loss to Western Michigan in this year’s NCAA title game.
Marek discussed Hutson, a 2024 second-round pick of the Caps, after sharing insight on the eldest Hutson brother, Quinn Hutson, signing an entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
“As for brother Cole Hutson, a Washington Capitals prospect, it sounds like he’s leaning towards playing college hockey another season,” Marek writes. “This family is going to dominate when they all reach the NHL.”
The younger Hutson was far and away the best first-year player in the nation, winning the 2025 Tim Taylor Award as NCAA Rookie of the Year and being the only freshman out of the 24 players selected to the East/West First and Second-Teams. He posted 48 points (14g, 34a) in 39 games, matching the same scoring output his other brother, Lane Hutson, recorded in the same amount of games for BU in his freshman year.
Lane Hutson is now starring in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens, leading all rookies in scoring with 65 points (6g, 59a) in 81 games. The 21-year-old defender chose to go back for his sophomore season at BU in 2023-24 before signing his first contract with the Habs.
Cole may want to follow in his brother’s footsteps after coming so close to lifting the NCAA championship this season. He will also be eligible to play in the 2026 World Juniors for Team USA after winning gold last January at his first tournament and becoming the first defenseman in World Juniors history to lead in points.
The Capitals do not have any room on defense at the NHL level. If Hutson were to decide to leave school, he’d likely sign an amateur tryout agreement with the AHL’s Hershey Bears before signing his three-year, entry-level contract with the Caps during the offseason.
