Report: Newly signed Kings Dman Ben Hutton almost landed in Canada

In case you missed the news earlier this week, former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Ben Hutton signed a one year, $1.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings.

Check it out:

But here’s the thing… according to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Hutton almost ended up as a member of the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets, of course, are in a bit of a pickle with the future of defenseman Dustin Byfuglien up in the air. Oh… and they traded away Jacob Trouba. Currently the Jets project to have a top pairing of Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk, so it’s clear to see why they were interested in Hutton. But, in the end, Hutton just wasn’t able to wait to see how things unfolded in Winnipeg and took the offer from the Kings.

Check out Friedman’s report from his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet:

Winnipeg had interest in Ben Hutton, but had to wait until things settled before formalizing anything. Hutton had to get started, and the Kings were ready.

Again, makes sense from both sides. You can understand the Jets' need for Hutton, but you can also understand Hutton's reasons for locking up a deal ASAP. In the end, here's hoping Big Buff returns for another season with the Jets and they can put their search to rest.