Chris Johnston had an interesting report on Friday morning when he announced that the Montreal Canadiens could move one of their 2025 first-round picks and Logan Mailloux this offseason. Mailloux's name has been in trade talks since last summer, but the Canadiens' front office decided to hold on to him for 2024-25.
Mailloux and David Reinbacher played most of the season with the Laval Rocket, but Reinbacher battled some serious injury concerns. When Reinbacher was in the lineup, he looked like the top defense prospect in the Canadiens' pipeline. However, the worry is that the injuries will continue to pile up.
Reinbacher has been starting to become a force in these playoffs, including over the last two series as he recorded two goals and four assists in his past seven games. Reinbacher's real value has been in his defensive prowess, and him chipping in at the offensive end will only be a bonus at the NHL level.
It's possible that the Canadiens have seen enough in Reinbacher's 21 games this season to justify choosing him over Mailloux for the long-term future of the club. After acquiring Alexandre Carrier, the space on the right side is getting smaller, and there's a good chance only one of Reinbacher and Mailloux will make the Canadiens next season.
If Montreal is looking to make a big splash and improve their team for next season, Reinbacher likely has much more trade value around the league. However, their desire to trade Mailloux instead shows how they feel about Reinbacher for their future.
Would Lane Hutson move full-time to the right side next season to make up a group of him, Carrier and Reinbacher? Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson, Arber Xhekaj, and Jayden Struble could create some kind of combination on the left-side.
You might ask why they wouldn't keep Hutson on the left and try to fit in both Reinbacher and Mailloux. The problem is that it would push Xhekaj and Struble out of the lineup. Struble played well for the Canadiens this season, and Xhekaj provides some value in the bottom pair.
There are some talks of Xhekaj being on the trade block this summer. That is still a possibility, but Mailloux would fetch a greater return than the enforcer defenseman. Montreal's desire to make a big splash will force them to trade either Mailloux or Reinbacher, and it looks like they've already made their decision.