Coming off of a fifth straight win against the Colorado Avalanche with an injury depleted lineup and buoying their playoff chances, the Anaheim Ducks are giving a reason for fans to feel good about the 2025-26 season again. With the Winter Olympics only a few weeks away, Ducks fans should also feel good about Jackson LaCombe making the Team USA roster, as LaCombe's nomination was a surprise announcement, prior to the Avalanche game.
You know who's not feeling good though? Lane Hutson fans.
And although we briefly touched on this subject already, now would be a good time to expand on the topic and present the case as to why LaCombe is the right choice for Team USA.
Note: all stats are from the afternoon of January 22nd
Offensive production
Here is how both skaters stack up against each other.
Skater | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Time on ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LaCombe | 50 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 24:31 |
Hutson | 50 | 9 | 43 | 52 | 23:45 |
Cannot argue against the offensive production, as Hutson clearly has the upper hand with showing up on the score sheet. If we expand the point stats a bit further, Hutson is producing at a 1.04 per game average, while LaCombe is at 0.62 per game average. Hutson is also second on the Montreal Canadiens in scoring, while LaCombe is fifth in scoring for the Ducks. LaCombe does own a slight edge in ice time, and he leads all Ducks defenders, while Hutson is second to Mike Matheson, on the Canadiens side.
Special Teams
How LaCombe and Hutson stack up against each other, with on ice deployment during the powerplay and penalty kill.
Skater | Powerplay time on ice per game | On ice powerplay goals for | Shorthanded time on ice per game | On ice powerplay goals against | Even strength time on ice per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LaCombe | 3:12 | 18 | 2:31 | 26 | 18:48 |
Hutson | 3:03 | 27 | 0:23 | 2 | 20:19 |
While both skaters are pretty close in powerplay time per game, Hutson does own the edge on creating goals for his team. However, LaCombe is clearly used in all situations for the Ducks, as evidenced by his shorthanded ice time, when compared to Hutson's. And that is where management for Team USA clearly valued LaCombe over Hutson.
Roster construction
LaCombe and Seth Jones comparison.
Skater | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Time on ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jones | 40 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 23:29 |
LaCombe | 50 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 24:31 |
Handedness aside, both Jones and LaCombe have comparable numbers for the season. Both LaCombe and Jones are comparable in stature, and both defensemen are solid in their respective two-way play.
Team USA already has arguably the second-best defenseman in the NHL, Quinn Huges, and his 44 points to be the powerplay quarterback. Zach Werenski is also more than capable of producing offense with 52 points on the season. Brock Faber is also capable of producing from the blue line as well, with 31 points.
Team USA made the right move by selecting LaCombe for the upcoming Winter Olympics. He is a solid two-way defenseman that can slot in of the place of an injured Jones and provide steady, dependable play in all situations. Duck fans should look forward to seeing what LaCombe can do, while skating on a line with a better caliber of teammate.