On Friday morning, Chris Johnston from The Athletic published his NHL offseason trade board, and the first Montreal Canadiens player appears at number 19. No, it’s not Patrik Laine, it’s 22-year-old right-shot defenseman Logan Mailloux (although one of the Habs’ two first-round picks comes in at number eight).
The young defenseman has spent most of the season skating with the Laval Rocket, putting up 33 points in 63 games. While this is a decrease in production compared to last season, the blueliner has become a more complete player under Pascal Vincent’s tutelage this year.
Canadiens: Should Montreal Roll The Dice on Jonathan Toews?
Canadiens Farm Team Lose Game Two And Key Player
Canadiens: Demidov Named Rookie Of The Year In The KHL
At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Mailloux has got size, and he packs a booming shot from the blueline, something that’s been missing on the Habs defense since Shea Weber’s departure. Arber Xhekaj does have a big shot, but his limited ice time barely allows him to use it, and Lane Hutson and Laine’s arrival have resulted in a power-play reshuffle; there’s just no more room for him on the man-advantage. Hutson and Matheson have the D spots locked in, for now, but Mailloux could have the tools to unseat Matheson...
Mailloux played seven games in the NHL this past season and gathered a pair of goals and a pair of assists, which is definitely not a bad output. However, the game has looked a little too fast for him at times, perhaps because his decision-making isn’t quite there yet. That’s not worrying, however, he’s only just turned 22, and it can take longer for defensemen to develop.
He has been playing a significant role for the Rocket in their current playoff run. In 11 matches, he has put up six points and 26 penalty minutes. In Thursday night’s defeat, he didn’t play a single shift in the third, but Pascal Vincent indicated that it was because of an injury.
It’s easy to see why Mailloux could be an enticing option on the trade market, but unless he’s used in a big trade to fix the Canadiens’ need for a second-line center down the middle, I’d be reluctant to trade him. Montreal may have a lot of defensive prospects, but they are thin on the right-shot defenseman side, especially since David Savard retired. Of course, it’s possible to use defensemen on their off-side, but it’s not always a good option. Kaiden Guhle has played much better since returning to his strong side.
Trading Mailloux, while so little is known about David Reinbacher, sounds like a bit of a gamble. I know the organization is very high on him, but a knee injury robbed him of his first season as a pro in North America, meaning the team might not have a complete evaluation yet.
Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.