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Logan Mailloux: Martin St-Louis sees him as a future top-4 defenseman

On Wednesday night, we saw Logan Mailloux “back” in the NHL. The defenseman, who played the last game of the season last year and has played five earlier this season in the NHL, is not exactly a regular in the Bettman circuit… but he was enjoying a third opportunity with the big club.

And overall, what we take away from his game on Wednesday… is that he has a major league shot.

But Mailloux’s offensive play isn’t the big question with him. We know he is capable of creating offensively and being a physical player… but we don’t know if he will be able to play well defensively in the NHL.

During his first five-game stint with the Habs this season, it was quite horrible on that front.

That said, in a press conference today, Martin St-Louis chatted a bit about Mailloux’s case… and he made a rather interesting statement: the coach believes that in the long term, Mailloux has everything to be a member of the top-4 on the Canadiens’ blue line.

He reminded the media that 21 years old is young… and that Mailloux has interesting tools, both offensively and defensively.

Obviously, the Habs would love for Mailloux to be a piece of their top-4 long term. The club is quite thin in terms of right-handed defensemen, and seeing Justin Barron’s experience fail means that guys like Mailloux and David Reinbacher are under a bit more pressure.

Alexandre Carrier and David Savard can hold the fort in the short term… but sooner or later, they will need long-term solutions in terms of right-handed defensemen. And no, playing Kaiden Guhle or Lane Hutson on the right shouldn’t be the plan.

That said, it becomes interesting when we look a bit at the team’s blue line picture. We suspect that Savard won’t be around in a few years, but if Reinbacher reaches his full potential and Carrier spends a few more years in town, we might wonder if Mailloux is destined for a role on a third pair.

That will create internal competition… but the young players will need to play if they want to develop.

Obviously, the Canadiens would prefer to manage the nice problem of having three top-4 caliber right-handed defensemen. Of the three, Mailloux seems to be the one who seems least assured of reaching that caliber… but his coach in Montreal believes in him.

And this is even though Mailloux acknowledges himself that he is having a tough season. He has to adapt to a new role (more focused on defensive play) in Laval… and he is experiencing difficulties related to all of that.

If Mailloux wants to become a top-4 caliber right-handed defenseman as St-Louis believes he can, he will need to learn from these difficulties to become a player capable of holding his own defensively on a top-4 in the NHL.

It has often been mentioned that Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher seem made to play together, but if Mailloux can become the ideal partner for Kaiden Guhle, the Canadiens won’t complain. However, he will need to push Alexandre Carrier out of that seat in a few years… and that won’t happen anytime soon.

In Brief

– Speaking of Mailloux.

– The return to Laval seems to have helped him on that front, at least.

– The guys are having fun.

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Jake Evans and Joel Armia: trade them both for a very big return?

Should the Canadiens trade their rental players?

In my opinion, David Savard and Jake Evans (unless Evans asks for the moon) should stay, and guys like Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia can be more easily traded.

The Snake, that said, would trade Evans quite easily. #ByeBye

But because the Canadiens won’t trade Evans unless the return is excellent, teams that would like to have him need to ask themselves: what do I need to do to convince Kent Hughes to make a move?

The answer is to offer more.

And if, while offering more for Evans, a team decided to ask for Armia ALONG with the center? This way, a playoff contending team could form an ideal fourth line for the playoffs.

Note: I’m not saying that the Habs should do it. But increasingly, the idea is circulating: pairing the two players could help maximize the return. Arpon Basu (The Athletic) just talked about it in a recent article.

We’ll agree that a team that were to grab both would have a solid fourth line. But more importantly, they are two of the best penalty killers in the league. Many teams would need them, between you and me.

Of course, Hughes should think about the impact such an idea would have in the locker room since the removal of two players in this way would have a demoralizing effect on the group.

But if the return is worth it in a year where the Stanley Cup won’t be won by the Canadiens…

Let’s note that Evans earns $1.7 million and Armia is at $3.4 million. The GM can retain salary on Armia’s contract, or he can take on a contract to equalize the salary cap a bit.

If the team wants to evaluate Owen Beck or other prospects by the end of the season, that would free up space. And if NHL teams don’t want this to happen, they will need to win games before March 7.

As long as we don’t know what would be on the Habs’ table for these guys, it’s hard to comment… but it would take a lot for me to agree to let Evans go. Especially if he is ready to sign a reasonable contract by March 7.

In Brief

– To read.

– Ivan Demidov at the KHL All-Star festivities.

– Sick.

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Rumor: Erik Karlsson in Ottawa

With the salary cap rising, it means that several players who were deemed “untouchable” might ultimately become options for certain teams.

Among them? Erik Karlsson.

I never thought the Sharks would manage to trade him in time, but the Penguins had other plans. And now, with the upcoming years looking difficult in Pennsylvania, trading him again could be a great option.

On this subject, Nick Kypreos (Sportsnet) wrote an article in which he asks us to keep an eye on the Ottawa Senators regarding the Penguins’ offensive defenseman.

No less than that.

The Penguins, considering the situation they have put themselves in (they are losing and have no big prospects) in recent years, are clearly candidates to make a move.

And Karlsson back to Ottawa would be…

The Sens, of course, are the team where he began his career and the team with which he had the most success. It would really be a very special story.

The new owner and the rise of the Sens in the standings are factors that could mean that if the Penguins want to retain salary (he counts for $10 million on the Penguins’ cap), it could be possible.

I would be surprised if the Senators didn’t want to bring him back. It would help especially with ticket sales… even if he is no longer the defenseman he once was in the past.

I don’t necessarily expect this to happen within a month. But this summer, it’s a storyline I want to keep an eye on since it would be a great story in Ontario.

in a nutshell

– News from CF Montreal.

– Logical.

– Where will he go?

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American national anthem booed: Cole Caufield finds it disrespectful

For about a week now, one of the biggest topics in the news has had repercussions on hockey in the National Hockey League.

Indeed, the announcement by Donald Trump, the President of the United States, regarding a potential 25% increase in tariffs on Canadian products has caused a significant reaction across North America.

This announcement has really frustrated Canadians, who have decided to express their anger in various ways, including during hockey games.

In fact, in recent games, we have heard the American national anthem being booed by Canadian fans in Ottawa and Calgary, among others.

Fans have shown no embarrassment at all, which even prompted a response from Americans, who booed the Canadian national anthem during the Ottawa Senators’ visit to Nashville to face the Predators.

In short, there are tensions between Canada and the United States right now, and this even extends into the world of hockey, which displeases Cole Caufield.

Indeed, the American forward for the Montreal Canadiens stated today in front of the media that he found it disrespectful to hear the American national anthem being booed.

This is what the number 13 of the CH declared earlier today after the team’s practice when he was questioned about this issue.

“Respectfully, I find it disrespectful. It bothers me a bit, yes.” – Cole Caufield

Obviously, it was clear that Caufield did not appreciate the questions on this subject, but he nonetheless responded somewhat by explaining that national anthems represent something special for hockey players.

It is part of the routine and history of the sport for the sniper of the Tricolore.

So it’s simple: for Caufield, there is no reason to boo national anthems.

So, no matter what, let’s just be respectful. Come to the game to cheer for your team and let the anthems play. – Cole Caufield

In short, it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow at the Bell Centre, as the CH plays its first home game since Trump’s announcement, considering they were on a trip abroad on the west coast.

Let’s recall that Jean-Marc Léger is among those who want to hear the American national anthem being booed at the Bell Centre.

We will also need to monitor if there will be boos at the Bell Centre during the Four Nations Tournament, especially during the match between Canada and the United States at 8 PM on February 15.

In Brief

– The former CH player is on waivers.

– It’s a shame they don’t learn from their lessons.

– To be continued.

– To listen.

@thesheethockey Why did the Flyers and Flames have their players in games when a trade was in progress? Daniel Briere joined the show and provided some insight as to why the deal took place when it did and what the nerves were like waiting for the final buzzer👀 #Calgary #Philadelphia #Flames #Flyers ♬ original sound – thesheethockey

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Logan Mailloux will play tomorrow

Good news for Logan Mailloux.

The Canadiens announced that the club’s prospect, who has been with the team for a few days, will not return to Laval right away. He will get another game – at least.

Samuel Montembeault will also play tomorrow, by the way.

Details to come…

in a nutshell

– Stay tuned.

– Well done.

– I love it.

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Ivan Demidov is the top prospect in the NHL, according to Craig Button

The Canadiens are rebuilding through their young players. They have a strong draft pick bank, several quality young players in Montreal, and also several excellent prospects.

According to The Athletic, the Canadiens’ prospect bank ranks third in the NHL.

It is agreed that one of the reasons the Canadiens are ranked so highly is the presence of Ivan Demidov among the prospect pool. And if you listen to Craig Button, a specialist in young prospects at TSN, there’s nothing better than Demidov among prospects right now.

Are you surprised? Not me.

Often, Demidov is ranked among the best young players worldwide, including those in the NHL. However, since Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov, and others are not prospects yet, they are not eligible for this ranking.

This is not the first time Button has spoken highly of Demidov. Thus, it is not surprising to see the Canadiens’ prospect, who continues to dominate with SKA, ranked so highly.

Let’s remember that we should see him in the NHL next season.

We shouldn’t have to wait too long to see another Canadiens prospect among Button’s top-ranked players. Jacob Fowler, the excellent college goalie, is ranked 13th.

And Michael Hage is ranked 41st.

Demidov is expected to arrive in the NHL in a few months, and it will probably take at least a year, at minimum, before we see Hage and Fowler establish themselves in the NHL.

But all three have the potential to change the game.

In a nutshell

– That’s not a good sign.

– Attention to those interested.

– Good news.

– New agent for Nicolas Beaudoin.

– What do you think?

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Insults – and threats – towards Simon Boisvert: people are crazy

Simon “Snake” Boisvert has always kept people talking in the hockey world.

The reason is simple: Boisvert is not afraid – unlike far too many people in 2025 – to share his opinions. His real ones, not nuanced opinions shaped by what society wants to hear…

The Snake became known during Mathias Brunet’s blog on LaPresse.ca and 10, 15 years later, he co-hosts with Mathias the second best podcast in Quebec (after Stanley25 hehe). He is also a commentator on BPM Sports and according to my sources, he should also be part of another radio project announced soon…

In recent days, Boisvert met with David Garel (Hockey30). The interview – perhaps a bit lengthy, you might say – features some very interesting segments.

From the first few minutes, the Snake shares that he received a barrage of insults following his past comments on Cayden Primeau.

What were his comments? That Primeau was not an NHL goalie…

Let’s just say that time seems to have proven Boisvert right on that one…

Boisvert revealed that his opinions made it so that there were plenty of people who hated him, who loved to hate him.

Off the record, he would even tell you that he has received threats from his “haters”.

And this is where I have a problem with that; how can you develop hate for a guy who doesn’t think like you about a young hockey player?

How can you expend part of your energy to hate someone to the point of publicly insulting them and issuing threats… just because he is not as optimistic as you about a prospect on your team?

Simon Boisvert closed his X (Twitter back in the day) account several years ago because he was tired of people pouring their hatred on him. Upon returning to the public sphere last year, he obviously awakened some of those people who are always looking for someone else to hate. Even for takes on hockey…

You don’t like the Snake? You find him incredible, that he only makes big takes to get attention and that he comes out of nowhere? OK, you have the right.

But don’t listen to him then.

However, belittling him and insulting him all over the web, then sending him threats, is a no! And it will always be.

The excuse of being emotional when it comes to “your” hockey team does not fly!

If I had to act that way toward everyone I disagree with, we would never finish.

These behaviors ultimately force people to stop publicly sharing opinions that go against the grain…

So everyone ends up thinking alike… only speaking in clichés.

And damn, that gets boring!

Let’s make an effort to respect people who don’t always think like us. In sports as in life in general…

Overtime

Simon Boisvert does more than analyze the play of young NHL prospects. He has a translation company; he is also a director and actor in his own films (in English and French). He recently revealed that he financed his last film with his own million dollars.

The trailer for one of his films (Love or Lust) is available on YouTube.

The film itself is available on Google Play and Amazon Video.

There is another unlisted video also lost in the depths of YouTube, but I will keep it inaccessible, hehe.

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Four nations: Team Canada does not want to hear anything about Logan Thompson

At the moment, the Washington Capitals are relying on one of the good goalies in the league, Logan Thompson.

The club is really satisfied with his services (if Connor Hellebuyck didn’t exist, Thompson would have a chance to win the Vezina) and that’s what led him to receive a generous contract extension.

From 2025 to 2031, he will earn over 35 million dollars. Clearly, he must be liked there.

But what needs to be known is that if Thompson seems to be thriving in Washington, it wasn’t the same situation in Vegas. Why do I say this? Because his time in Vegas is preventing him from representing Canada at the Four Nations Clash.

Why? Because the people in Vegas don’t like the goalie enough to have refused to select him for next week’s tournament.

Peter DeBoer and Bruce Cassidy, his two former coaches in Vegas, are members of Team Canada. And both put their foot down to prevent the goalie from making the team.

This is what Martin Leclerc reported this morning on BPM Sports.

For two coaches (who did not work together) to have the same opinion regarding a goalie, one must think that the situation must have been intense. After all, it’s significant, as a situation.

I really wonder what he did… and why it took so long to let him go.

It’s especially significant when we realize that Canada does not have a dominant goalie for the tournament. If that decision had been made when Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy were at the peak of their game, it would have been a different story.

Let’s say that if Canada has problems in goal in the coming weeks, the club’s management will be questioned just like Team Canada junior was for the poor choices in the lineup.

And by the way, on this subject, Thompson is not an isolated case.

This morning, Renaud Lavoie (BPM Sports) addressed the subject of Mark Scheifele with the Canadian team. And he said this regarding the idea of seeing him replace Sidney Crosby – if the captain can’t play.

I will wait a little longer. I will let the tournament progress and we will revisit Mark Scheifele, why he is not there. Currently, I will be cautious.

But from what I’m hearing, it’s really not good. – Renaud Lavoie

What the journalist reports is that some people might have something against him, which would have led to his absence. As the journalist points out, before, Team Canada didn’t care about the character of the guys and the best were chosen.

Let’s just say that Canada better win the tournament…

in brief

– Stay tuned.

– Eight million dollars for 30 seconds of glory at the Super Bowl.

– To read.

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Rumor Corner: Noah Dobson to be traded

The Islanders do not have the best team in the NHL right now, they have a weak prospect pool… and they have a GM who is not exactly inclined to start a rebuilding process.

What comes next?

For now, the club wants to win, and that’s why Brock Nelson might sign a short-term contract extension. This could increase Jake Evans’ value if there is a shortage of forwards on the market.

But the Islanders need to think beyond that.

According to what is circulating and what RG media is able to confirm, Noah Dobson, whose name has been talked about in Montreal recently, is being shopped by the Islanders. If the price is right, the top defenseman could be on the move.

The right price would be… a top forward capable of scoring. Does the Canadiens have that to give? I don’t think so, but Kent Hughes still needs to be involved in the matter.

This is why the name Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks is circulating right now. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, but it’s the kind of player the Islanders would target.

Of course, at $11.6 million compared to $4 million for Dobson, salary needs to be balanced… but that’s another debate.

I wonder if Lou Lamoriello really just wants to improve his offense or if he feels that Dobson (he will be a restricted free agent this summer, but unrestricted free agency is approaching for the six-season NHL defenseman) needs to be traded before he chooses to leave on his own terms.

But Lamoriello is not the only GM to watch for a potential big trade, as other teams may decide to make significant moves moving forward.

After all, the Blues could trade their captain, which doesn’t happen every day.

According to Darren Dreger (Insider Trading, TSN), Brayden Schenn, who earns $6.5 million per season for a little over three more years, would not be completely untouchable in St. Louis.

However, the return should be… significant.

And finally, to wrap up the rumors, it should be noted loudly and clearly that the hockey boss of the Columbus Blue Jackets stated that his team has a plan for the deadline.

The Jackets will be buyers.

The team, which has to deal with the death of Johnny Gaudreau, is having a better season than expected. Right now, the club is just one point out of the playoffs and clearly, a breakthrough to participate is expected.

This will leave fewer sellers in the East. Will this give more value to the Canadiens’ players?

In brief

– To be continued.

– Who could be traded to Montreal? [LP]

– Ouch.

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Jacob Fowler: the Avalanche and the CH wanted him at the start of the second round

At this moment, the Canadiens can count themselves lucky to have a guy like Jacob Fowler in their prospect pipeline. He is highly regarded by the club due to his great performances.

The development of a goaltender is always special because it is hard to project. That’s why goaltenders drafted a bit later can sometimes blossom after all.

And Fowler’s case is one of them.

What you need to know is that even though no one drafted him in the first two rounds, his name still circulated in the second round. At least two teams wanted him at the beginning of the second round.

And that’s not counting all the other teams that might have wanted him but are not saying so publicly.

How do we know this? Because Kent Hughes, during his appearance on the Processus podcast, discussed the behind-the-scenes of the 2023 draft to elaborate on this subject.

I invite you to listen to the podcast, available to everyone since this morning. It features a GM who did not just stick to the script.

In essence, Hughes said that if the Canadiens did not trade their picks #31 and #37 to Colorado in exchange for Alex Newhook, their selections would have been Gavin Brindley and… Jacob Fowler.

Brindley ended up being the 34th pick of the draft. The 5’8 center is currently a prospect for the Blue Jackets who has made the jump to the pros this season but is not dominating in Cleveland.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

But because his scouts told him they liked their chances of being able to draft Fowler in the third round, Kent Hughes took the gamble and traded the picks to Colorado for Newhook.

And once the draft was over, Chris MacFarland, the GM of Denver, admitted to his counterpart in Montreal that if he hadn’t traded the #37 pick (which became Ethan Gauthier) to Tampa Bay for Ross Colton, Jacob Fowler would have been his target in the draft.

I don’t know if the Avalanche GM is happy that this came out publicly, but we now know that two teams wanted the Florida netminder at the beginning of the second round.

Note that Colorado, with the #31 pick obtained in exchange for Newhook, drafted Mikhail Gulyayev. The small left-handed defenseman is playing in Russia.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

in brief

-Optional practice this morning for the CH.

– Current rumors in MLB.

– Well deserved.

– Hockey, national sport in Quebec: what does it change? [JdeM]

– Good question.

 

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