Quinn Hutson didn’t get much of a test when he first arrived on the Edmonton Oilers.

In fact, it was nothing short of a crash course for the youngster fresh off wrapping up his collegiate career with Boston University, when he signed a two-year entry-level contract on April 14.

He landed in Edmonton just in time to suit up for two of the final three games on an Oilers squad that was banged up heading down the playoff stretch, and was ineligible to continue with them in the post-season.

This year, the 23-year-old is enrolled on the farm with the Bakersfield Condors, and early on in his first semester in the American Hockey League, he appears to be making the grade.

Tied for the team lead with four goals in the first 11 games, to go with a pair of assists, Hutson is no longer just a warm body filling a position in the lineup, as he looks to continue building off his initial experience at the professional level.

But it hasn’t exactly come easily.

“Quinn reminds me a little bit of Matt Savoie when it comes to his offensive production, Year 1 in the American league,” said Condors head coach Colin Chaulk. “Meaning he’s getting some good looks and he’s doing some good things offensively, and it hasn’t been going in for him.”

Things turned around Saturday, when Hutson found the back of the net twice in the third period on the way to a 5-3 win to sweep the Henderson Silver Knights.

Hutson’s potential is sky high. He finished his collegiate career second in the NCAA with 1.39 points per game, second only to the 1.41 average of Michigan State’s Isaac Howard, who won the Hobey Baker award on the way to being acquired by the Oilers in the off-season.

Hutson’s primary goal right now, as with Howard, is to start translating those numbers into the pros.

“What we’re looking at is, is he getting chances? Is he getting in the areas to get good looks? The answer is yes,” Chaulk said. “Is he generating good looks by his decision-making? The answer is yes.

“The areas that myself and (assistant coach) Adam Krug are working on him with is trying to get him moving his feet when he has the puck, skating on first touch, getting off the wall, getting to the middle of the ice. He finds he’s been able to get away with those, maybe standing and watching, not beating his check to the net to get a few more looks.”

But it’s not just offence that’s taken the sole focus, as the Condors look to help round out his game.

“(Assistant coach) Keith McCambridge is teaching him how to penalty kill, which Matt Savoie had never really done when he came to Bakersfield,” Chaulk said. “Adding all these layers to your game is a lot early in the schedule. And then, when you haven’t been getting the statistical results as the player would like, you start to grip things a little tighter.”

Off-ice, the adjustment is also taking shape.

“Socially, culturally, he’s fitting in great with the group, the coaches,” Chaulk said. “He’s coachable, and he’s open to and seeing to those little things that we’re talking about, adding those layers.

“You’ve got a really good player already, really offensive and with great genes. He’s a hockey player, and loves it and breathes it. He doesn’t play hockey, he’s a hockey player.”

Hutson comes by it honestly, growing up in a household where hockey was the focus. Two of his three brothers also played at Boston University, with Lane Hutson suiting up as a defenceman with the Montreal Canadiens.

“There’s lots of positives there, you can draw on information you might not otherwise be privy to and get perspective from family members,” Chaulk said. “I had a short stint with his dad, Rob, who played pro hockey.”

Of course, following in the family footsteps is something that can also come with its own challenges for someone looking to make their own name for themselves.

“There are always going to be external pressures, whether it be social media, playing in a big market or having family members that have excelled,” Chaulk said. “Those are all things that players deal with. Knowing they have to deal with it and understanding how they respond, I think the way we try to go about it is to just talk about it.

“Generally, that just allows a good level of comfortability and social settings for the player. Usually, when that feels pretty normal the player can play pretty well and free.”

E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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