Montreal Canadiens: Logan Mailloux Coming Along Nicely On Laval Rocket Blueline
Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux has just 35 American Hockey League games under his belt. Let that one marinate.
The Mailloux part was excellent. I believe in him to find his role on this team when the rebuild is over. You need 6 solid defenseman, Logan should be there
— Costa Rontzocos (@Rontzeeez) January 14, 2024
If he tops off as a #4 then they'll be happy with his progression
He's having a nice year in his first pro season https://t.co/U2VsSzdzFV
Whether you like Mailloux or not, what he is doing is super impressive. Is it too soon to get excited? No, and yes my expectations are in check. I would never set unrealistic expectations that a player might not meet.
Simply put, Mailloux looks to be on a clear path for the Canadiens' top-four blueliners group. Alongside Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson and hopefully David Reinbacher, the Habs have some great pieces. With Jayden Struble, Adam Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj not even considered, this defence is looking good.
Back to Mailloux though, who was selected as the Laval Rocket representative for the AHL All-Star game. Mailloux was serenaded by the fans on Friday night after a first-star performance. When asked about his all-star game selection, the Rocket crowd went bananas.
Defenceman Logan Mailloux has six goals and 14 assists in 32 games during his rookie campaign.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 10, 2024
Also worth pointing out he has 10 points in 12 games since Xhekaj was assigned to the AHL. They've both looked very good. https://t.co/CllxNbeDVK
Naturally, Mailloux’s offensive game is well ahead of his defensive game. But after learning under Mark and Dale Hunter, he has grown in that area substantially. There have been instances that you would like to see him clean up on, but his ceiling appears to be very high, his floor is very close to an NHL top-four defender and he is still just 21 years old.
Mailloux has all the tools to be a 15-year veteran in the NHL. He is likely another AHL season away from pushing for a spot with the Habs. But he will be a physical, offensive player whose mobility is a deadly combination paired with his 6-foot-3 215-pound frame.
The big shot slotted alongside Arber Xhekaj and his quick wrister created a ton of 5-on-5 chances for the Rocket. Mailloux is a gamer, and he loves to control the puck in the offensive zone. It’s hard to imagine the Habs not having a high-scoring blueline through much of the Habs window of contention.
With Mailloux, Reinbacher, Hutson and Engstrom still on their way. Bogdan Konyushkov is also captaining his KHL squad. The future of the defence is in good hands, and if Kent Hughes can nab another first-round selection ahead of the upcoming draft, the Habs could sniff at the idea of adding a top-30 pick to their blueline.
Mailloux scored a goal in back-to-back games. While it’s a story for another day, it appears that Xhekaj has stabilized things, giving Mailloux more confidence to join his forwards on the rush.
It appears the best is yet to come and with an organizational focus on development, Mailloux is in good hands.
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