Exclusive Insight: Cole Hutson Reveals Top Capitals Players He's Eager to Team Up with Upon Joining the Squad trucc

Cole Hutson is one of the Capitals’ most exciting prospects. The 18-year-old defenseman lit up the NCAA in his freshman season at Boston University and is currently playing for Team USA at the men’s World Championship.

The 2024 second-round pick is headed back to BU for his sophomore season next year, but could be in a Capitals lineup as soon as he wraps up that second campaign with the Terriers. With the possibility of that drawing nearer, Hutson was recently asked on Mike Bartner’s In The Box podcast which Caps players he is most excited to play with once he signs with the club.

“I don’t really know if there’s one player,” Hutson said. “I think Tom Wilson, just getting a chance to play with him, would be pretty cool. Obviously, he’s a big guy, he’s a fighter, and someone you need on a team for a guy like me that’s not as big. If someone tries to kill me, he’ll be the first guy to step in.”

Hutson got a firsthand look at how Wilson affects games and stands up for his teammates during the Capitals’ first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens. The defender was at the Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4 of the series, sitting in seats purchased by his brother, Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson.

In Game 3, Wilson and Habs forward Josh Anderson had their viral brawl on one of the benches in the arena. A few days later, Wilson delivered a massive hit on defenseman Alexandre Carrier that flipped the momentum of Game 4, leading to a 5-2 Capitals win and a 3-1 series lead that they never relinquished.

Wilson has also shown that he likes to connect with the team’s prospects so that they have an easier time transitioning to the Capitals. Ryan Leonard and Andrew Cristall remarked that Wilson contacted them throughout their respective highly successful 2023-24 seasons.

“I think [Wilson] and then another guy that I’d just love to learn from is John Carlson,” Hutson said. “He’s been in the league for a lot of years, and I think if I got the chance to play with him, I’d pick his brain on his knowledge of the game and learn from him as much as I can. Not sure how much longer he’s going to be playing, but in the last few years that he’ll be there.”

Hutson and Carlson have much in common as offensive defensemen who can quarterback power plays. Hutson led a gold-medal-winning Team USA at the 2025 World Juniors in scoring, while Carlson was the top-scoring American defender on the gold-medal-winning Team USA at the 2010 World Juniors.

Carlson even seemed to salute Hutson for his big tournament by using the same intricate diamond puck marks on his stick blade tape that Hutson used in his gold-medal-winning performance.

Hutson will be back in the NCAA next year after leading all freshmen in scoring with 48 points (14g, 34a) from 39 games. He’ll look to add the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player after taking home the 2025 Tim Taylor Award as NCAA Rookie of the Year.

The Capitals can sign him to a three-year, entry-level contract at the conclusion of the next NCAA season.