Training camp battles: Mailloux vs Barron

The Montreal Canadiens drafting has been a strength, more so since the rebuild began, but Marc Bergevin adding some solid pieces into the prospect pool.

Take for example Logan Mailloux, while he wasn't the pick that anybody believed the Canadiens would make, Bergevin had different plans. Mailloux was selected 31st overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and he has developed into one of the Habs best prospects. The big, mobile, rugged defenseman had a brilliant debut professional season with the Laval Rocket, and with Johnathan Kovacevic out of the equation, an NHL spot is up for grabs.

Mailloux's game is still on the up and up, and he is far from polished defensively, but he proved that he can hang against professional players. With a full offseason to train and the experience from a full pro season, I would have to think there is a fair chance that Mailloux could crack the Habs roster out of training camp.

What about Justin Barron?

If coach Martin St. Louis wants to keep the defence pairings balanced with three righties and three lefties, then odds are Justin Barron or Mailloux will be watched closely. Barron has the experience in his back pocket at the NHL level, which weighs a bit in his favour, but he has struggled. Meanwhile, Mailloux has one game of experience under his belt.

The big difference from what I have seen is that Mailloux seems a little more sure of himself and plays with more of a physical edge. Barron has the size and the tools, but weird decisions and a lack of pace in his play tend to get him into trouble. I think if Barron addresses these things then he could be a great option, but Mailloux is gunning for his spot.

Through 92 NHL games, 22-year-old Barron has scored 12 goals and 18 assists, so there is room for him to increase those totals. But he has shown, albeit in a small sample size that he can create offense and make plays. But Mailloux has shown more of a natural ability to score, make plays and create plays almost instinctually.

I think that Mailloux will get the upper edge at camp, simply because he plays a more abrasive style and the Habs goal to create more offense will benefit from Mailloux more than Barron. Now, that doesn't mean that Barron wont show up at camp and look like the player that Montreal traded for. But that is something that will have to be answered when camp swings around.