Logan Mailloux must (really) question his future in Montreal

Dose
Crédit:

Let’s talk about the Canadiens’ defense.

If Kent Hughes doesn’t add anyone to his lineup this summer at the blue line and doesn’t trade anyone, we know that six players are sure to have their spot in the sun in 2026-2026.

We’re talking here about Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, Arber Xhekaj, Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble (who will be a restricted free agent, but seeing him sign is just a formality) and Kaiden Guhle, who is currently injured, but could return to play for the playoffs.

David Savard, who is currently in town, is at the end of his contract, him. We don’t know if he’ll be back in 2025-2026… but if he does, it’ll be as a seventh defenseman and at a low price.

But why are we talking about this?

Because, in my opinion, it’s interesting to try to see how much the blue line can undergo changes for the next season. This is not necessarily the biggest project for Kent Hughes this summer, but still.

The other thing to consider is that the Canadiens would have a plan, if all goes well, to bring David Reinbacher to the NHL.

Matheson, Carrier, Guhle, Hutson, Struble, Xhekaj, Reinbacher: that’s seven guys – and that doesn’t take into account a signing, like Savard. And unless Xhekaj is traded (if one of the seven had to be, it would probably be him), that makes for a complete picture.

By the force of things, this means that the other guys in the organization will have to work more than hard to make their place in the sun. We think here of Adam Engstrom, who is in his first year in North America…

But we think especially of Logan Mailloux, obviously.

Logan Mailloux, this is the player who wanted to make his place in Montreal at the last camp, but was not able to do so. This is the player who has ups and downs in the AHL and whose importance in the Canadiens’ organization is less… obvious, let’s say.

This is the player who is controversial. And even if he has been taken care of by the new administration, he remains a choice of Marc Bergevin.

As a right-handed defenseman, he had the chance to step up when David Reinbacher got injured and Justin Barron struggled so much that he was sent to Nashville. If Mailloux wanted to, he could have become the future on the right side of the Canadiens’ blue line.

But he didn’t.

Obviously, you know as well as I do that the development of a prospect is not linear. But considering all this, would you be surprised to see the Canadiens trade him this summer?

What we have to keep in mind is that the Canadiens want to improve their top-6 offense through trades. And the second center of the future will not be uprooted by trading Luke Tuch and a third-round pick – with all due respect to Tuch.

To receive, you have to give.

Among the young defensemen of the team, four have more value than the others in my opinion: Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, and Logan Mailloux. And I don’t see the first three, who should play in Montreal in 2025-2026, leaving.

When we look at everything coldly, yes, it’s easy to say that Mailloux has a chance to leave this summer. Not at all costs, but still.

I wonder how much Mailloux is questioning himself right now. Does he have his head in hockey or is he wondering if his future is with the Canadiens organization?

If he has a strong finish to the season, he will help his cause – in Montreal or elsewhere.

in Overtime

– The Rocket won last night.

– Michel Therrien is happy to see the Canadiens in the playoffs. [JdeM]

– Good listening.

– Oh yeah?