What is Logan Mailloux's potential?
Mailloux skates like a much smaller player, he plays with a physical edge and his offensive ceiling is probably second only to Lane Hutson for Habs defenders.
One of the most interesting names looking to crack the Montreal Canadiens out of training camp is one that could have been passed over.
Lots has happened since the pick and many wrongs have been righted, in the eyes of the NHL anyway. Logan Mailloux has the skills to pay the bills and he skates like a much smaller player. I don't necessarily think that there are many comparisons between him and Alex Pietrangelo, but the skating ability for his size is comparable.
With one professional season under his belt, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Mailloux rolled into Habs camp and made management decisions tough. I expect that the confidence he gained from his rookie year with the Laval Rocket will carry over to Habs camp. He knows that the best right-shot defender on the Habs right now is an aging David Savard.
It won't be easy to crack the Habs group of six defenders out of camp because there are so many players with potential and so few spots. Justin Barron and David Reinbacher will also be in the mix and with Johnathan Kovacevic out of the mix, they know they have a big opportunity in front of them.
What could Mailloux become?
With Mailloux, I think because his offensive skillset is on the dynamic tier you can live with his defensive shortcomings. That's not to say he won't be a quality top-four defenseman all day, because I think he has all the potential in the world. I think he would be best suited with a defensive-minded defenseman who can cover for him, à la Andrei Markov for PK Subban.
If the defensive pairings shake out with Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher and Mailloux with Kaiden Guhle, then I suppose whichever is given the bigger assignments is the top pair. At this point, that would mean that Guhle is the number one guy and Mailloux is the number two. It's harder to predict and easier to just sit back and watch things unfold admittedly.
Regardless, I don't foresee a scenario where Mailloux isn't on one of the top two defence pairings. Unless Justin Barron plays out of his mind and steals a spot, I think Mailloux has the higher potential. Things change and I may well end up with cake on my face, but I am pretty high on Mailloux.
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