Montreal Canadiens: What Will Habs Lineup Look Like In 2025-26

Pair Two - Kaiden Guhle-Logan Mailloux

I hesitated to put Guhle on the top defence pair, and Mailloux could be in that conversation as well. I see Mailloux more as a powerplay weapon than a top-right defenseman. Guhle with Reinbacher could be dominant but I feel that the balance of the pairs makes most sense how it’s written above.

Guhle, in my eyes is already the Canadiens best all-around defenseman, and he is only 21 years old. I see him as a dominant two-way defender, in the mould of Shea Weber, Alex Pietrangelo and Larry Robinson. He is defensively mature beyond his years, and he has such a high ceiling, that I see him as a guy who will lead the blueline, no matter where he plays. 

Mailloux is a little rougher around the edges, but with some stronger defensive awareness and continued offensive growth, he will mesh perfectly with Guhle. The right is more offensive-wired than Guhle, and he loves to shoot the puck. Defensively he is mean like number 21 for the Habs, using all of his 6’3” 215 lbs frame to kill plays. 

Both defenders are mobile for bigger guys, and so strong, they just aren’t fun to play against. They are both gamers, and their competitive fire runs deep in both their games. Guhle is a fair bet to play on the top penalty kill unit, and Mailloux on the powerplay, alongside Hutson or running the second unit.