Ranking the Canadiens defensemen from worst to first for the 2024-25 season
The Montreal Canadiens defensemen were not the easiest group to rank, thanks to the infusion of so many youngsters both for the upcoming season and definitely in 2025-26. So these rankings could look very different even by the time the Habs play their season-opener vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But what you’ll find below still makes for a good preliminary ranking, one in which you could line up those younger players in the second half of this list in quite a few different ways. But I decided to make it as straightforward as possible, with the bottom three perhaps being the likeliest to play in the AHL.
The next three made an impact for the Habs last season over an extended time, while our top three are shoo-ins to make the big club as they’re much more established talent.
9 - Logan Mailloux
Logan Mailloux made his NHL debut last season, but it’s likely a one-off, and that will remain the case for at least the first part of 2024-25 while David Savard remains in town. That said, if Savard gets traded elsewhere, there’s a chance Mailloux will see the NHL ice more during the latter stages of the season.
8 - David Reinbacher
David Reinbacher won’t be in the lineup unless he enjoys a remarkable preseason, but I’m ranking him one slot higher than Mailloux, thanks to his outstanding sample size in Laval. He nearly gave the Rocket a half-point per game in 11 contests, so how much better will he look this season?
7 - Lane Hutson
Lane Hutson is an undersized player who recorded two assists in two games with the Canadiens. Heading into camp, I’m putting Hutson above Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher as the likeliest to make the big club. His size, though, is concerning, so it remains to be seen whether that will be an issue throughout an 82-game slate in the NHL.
6 - Jordan Harris
We saw some encouraging play from Jordan Harris last season, and he could also factor into the third pairing as either a regular or a rotational piece, likely alongside Jayden Struble or Arber Xhekaj. Harris isn’t as physical as the latter two, and he was also on the ice for more goals allowed - 40 - at even strength, and that’s what knocked him down to No. 6.
5 - Arber Xhekaj
A healthy Arber Xhekaj could mean a formidable pairing between him and Jayden Struble. Like Struble, Xhekaj also passed the century mark in body checks, with 125 in 44 games. With just 24 on-ice goals against and a 92.6 on-ice save percentage at even strength, Xhekaj’s performance should further encourage fans that they have a solid blueliner in the making if he can stay on the ice.
4 - Jayden Struble
Jayden Struble enjoyed a strong showing in his first 56 NHL games, recording 10 points and establishing himself as a physical blueliner with third-pairing minutes. A fun fact for Struble is that his on-ice goals against sat at just 37 for the season, and his on-ice save percentage was an amazing 92.1.
3 - Kaiden Guhle
Kaiden Guhle put up some of the more encouraging performances last season for the Canadiens among the young blueliners in the system, finishing the year with top-four minutes, 178 blocks, and 116 hits. Guhle also had 22 points and six goals in 70 games, though he was on the ice for an eye-popping 67 goals against at even strength.
2 - David Savard
If there is one player who may not be on this list when we revisit it at some point in the 2024-25 season, it’s David Savard. But for now, he’ll help lead this young group and keep up his knack for getting in the way of potential scoring lanes.
1 - Mike Matheson
Mike Matheson is by far the best blueliner on the team, and it showed last season when he recorded 11 goals and 62 points. While he won’t hit that career-high again, I wouldn’t rule it out if Matheson is once again a top-five scorer on this Canadiens team while, like David Savard, specializing in blocking shots - 186 last season.
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(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)