3 promising prospects who could find a role on the Canadiens next season
Logan Mailloux has the edge over Reinbacher in the early going
While Reinbacher has solid size to be a pro player in North America, Logan Mailloux looks like a prototype. Currently 6’3, 212 lbs with even more room to keep growing, the former first-round pick is the front-runner among defensemen in the system to make the jump at some point next season.
Like Reinbacher, it’s still more likely we will see Mailloux in the NHL later in 2024-25. But if the Canadiens, and it’s likely, take another year to build, look for Mailloux to see NHL ice at some point following the 2025 trade deadline.
Once he’s in town, expect a hard-hitting blueliner who won’t be afraid to use that size to his advantage early. He’s likely one for the third-pairing during his initial run in the NHL, but Mailloux also has two-way potential, something we have seen with his 39 points and 13 goals in 60 contests so far in 2023-24.
But he can also be erratic with the puck, so Mailloux needs to minimize that drawback to his game next season, ideally before he makes his NHL debut. If he makes clean decisions and gets the call-up later next season, Mailloux could surprise with his scoring potential. At the absolute least, he will start off in a stay-at-home role.
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(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)