Where Logan Mailloux fits amongst Montreal Canadiens' blueline injuries

It's too early for the injury bug to start hitting the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens have been one of the most-injured teams in the league over the last few seasons, and it looks like we're going that way again in 2024-25. Patrik Laine's injury has been the most talked about, but now they have Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle battling ailments. Matheson sat out of practice on Friday for maintenance, but Guhle is more uncertain as the team ruled him as day-to-day. One player benefitting from the injuries is recent call-up Logan Mailloux.

Injuries aren't the way Mailloux wanted to get NHL time this season. He was the victim of a stacked blue line out of training camp, and the organization made him start the year in Laval. Mailloux showed why that was a mistake in the regular season opener when he recorded two goals and two assists against the Providence Bruins. Mailloux's second game didn't go as well with a -2 rating in a 3-1 loss, but it was hard to get past his opening performance.

It's hard to make predictions when it comes to injuries, but it seems like Matheson is a candidate to play on Saturday while Guhle is likely out. It's easy to slot Mailloux into the slot left vacant by Guhle, as he was playing the right side thanks to them having four left-shot defense. The lineup won't change too much, but it is a downgrade in defensive ability from Guhle to Mailloux. Mailloux will bring more offensive upside, but defense is the area of concern for the Canadiens currently.

If Matheson also misses Saturday night's game against the New York Islanders, things could get very interesting. Lane Hutson will likely take Matheson's spot on the first powerplay unit, which fans have been screaming for since the first game. Mailloux will also get an opportunity to steal a spot on the right side, leading to a difficult decision for Martin St. Louis once Guhle returns. It could expedite the Canadiens' possibility of trading Mike Matheson, or it could push Arber Xhekaj out of the lineup. Mailloux could also take Justin Barron's spot if that's the way the coaching staff wants to go.

Jayden Struble will also get the chance to stake his claim. Struble hasn't made his NHL debut yet this season, but fans have been clamoring to get him in the lineup. Struble was a fan favorite in 2023-24, but his injury kept him out of the lineup for the first five games. The Canadiens' blue line could use a shot in the arm, and this kind of switch-up might be what they need. If they look good on Saturday night against the Islanders, what will St. Louis do once Matheson and Guhle are healthy?