Logan Mailloux played his first NHL game last night at the Bell Centre, and looked great doing it. Beyond his assist on Newhook’s goal, he looked right at home on the ice. If he was nervous, it didn’t show.
It’s amazing what a season in Laval has given him in terms of composure and confidence. He’s not the same player he was at training camp, which is great news for the whole organization.
Even so, Simon Boisvert doesn’t think Mailloux’s ceiling with the Habs is very high.
During his appearance on Tony Marinaro’s Sick Podcast, he mentioned that he sees Mailloux as a #6 defenseman at most, not least because he looks like a sleepwalker on the ice at times.
These comments are somewhat shocking, especially considering that Mailloux has only played one game in the NHL.
In my opinion, he has what it takes to become a good second pairing defenseman. He doesn’t have the same offensive flair as Lane Hutson, but he has an excellent shot and his defensive zone play is only improving.
We shouldn’t get too carried away either, but we understand what Marc Bergevin and his team saw in him when they selected him in the first round in 2021.
We’ll see if he carves out a position in Montreal next year, but in the meantime, he’ll have the opportunity to lead the Laval Rocket to the playoffs.
At 21, he’s the team’s leader on the blue line, and he got some good news today when he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. A well-deserved honor.
Breaking news
– Coming up.
– A story to follow at the draft.
– He’ll have to redeem himself.
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