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Montreal Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux – (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Logan Mailloux Adds To Surplus of Young Defensemen in Canadiens’ Prospect Pipeline

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mike Fink | Last updated Jan 25, 2025 10:10 AM ET

The Laval Rocket are one of the best teams in the American Hockey League (AHL) with a 25-11-2-1 record. That’s the best in the North Division. Their Jan. 24 game against the Hartford Wolf Pack had their great play on full display, as they took the game 4-3 with a goal in the final minute from defenseman Logan Mailloux to seal the victory.

Mailloux was the star of the game but has been the star of the season as well. He scored two goals and added an assist against the Wolf Pack. His shot from the point stood out, as he fired the game-winner with a top-shelf shot into a tight window. “That’s a very good hockey player who scored both those goals,” Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny noted after the game. They tried to defend the shooting lanes but Mailloux still found the back of the net.

He’s a top prospect in the Montreal Canadiens system. With eight goals and 13 assists this season, he’s stood out. The 21-year-old defenseman provides the Canadiens, who are having a great season in their own right, plenty of hope for the future that a young team will only be better in the coming seasons.

Another Two-Way Option for the Canadiens

Lane Hutson garners all the attention not just in Montreal but around the NHL. His season has him in the Calder Trophy discussion, as he’s making an impact on both ends of the ice. At 20 years old, he’s become the Canadiens top-pair defenseman and a building block for this rebuilding team.

Mailloux is a similar type of defenseman, one who shares a lot of the same skills as Hutson. Considering how Hutson is turning out the Canadiens, it’s a good sign. The team can have two scoring defensemen in their lineup, and since Mailloux is a right-shot defenseman, he can play alongside the Calder Trophy candidate in the future and form a dynamic pair.

A handful of teams have built their defense with multiple two-way defensemen on it. The Colorado Avalanche, for example, won the Stanley Cup in 2022 with Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Bowen Byram all making an impact, especially in the playoffs, on both ends of the ice. Ideally, a great defense is balanced with speed, skill, size, and physicality throughout the three pairings. That said, adding another scoring presence at the point goes a long way, and the Canadiens have one in the works.

The Bet on Mailloux

When a team has a surplus of talent at one or two positions, they are usually forced to move on from good players in those positions. That’s what the Canadiens did with their defense. When they started the rebuild, they added young defensemen to the point where they had too many for their own good.

The Canadiens traded Alexander Romanov to the New York Islanders in the 2022 offseason. They traded Johnathan Kovacevic to the New Jersey Devils and Jordan Harris to the Columbus Blue Jackets this past summer. Romanov and Kovacevic are shutdown stay-at-home defensemen who leave a void in the Canadiens defense.

Trading all three defensemen was a risk worth taking. The Canadiens wanted to build around Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and Mailloux. All four skaters are 25 or younger and they provide the unit with all the skills necessary to have a great defense. The Canadiens look like they can make the playoffs this season and their youth movement on defense only provides more optimism.

What Mailloux’s Play Means for the Canadiens

The Canadiens still have a surplus of defensemen on their roster. While they won’t trade any at the deadline to make a push for the playoffs, they have options. They can flip a defenseman for a scorer and add more firepower to an improving forward unit. It’s what happened in the offseason when Harris was traded in a deal with the Blue Jackets to land Patrik Laine, so it could happen again to bolster the forward unit.

It’s more likely the Canadiens trade Mike Matheson or Alexandre Carrier at the deadline to open up a roster spot for Mailloux. There are seven defensemen on the NHL roster and the two veterans mentioned are expendable. Trading either will add more young talent to the Canadiens and set them up for contention soon enough.

Matheson, a 30-year-old, is having a great season. He’s still playing at a high level, so it will be hard to replace him. But that’s where Mailloux comes into the fold. He won’t be as good in the defensive end but he will be a great player at the NHL level and an upgrade at the blue line, especially in the long run.

Mailloux Will Bring a Lot to the Defense

The goals in the game against the Wolf Pack stood out, as they were only possible because of Mailloux’s shot. That said, his shot isn’t his best skill and it’s far from it. He handles the puck like he’s playing at the NHL level and he can carry it up the ice to turn defense into offense. Moreover, his skating makes him an option on the rush and usually allows him to find a spot for open looks on the net.

Mailloux must improve in the defensive end, and it will take time to acclimate to the NHL. Many defensemen need 100 games, if not more, to adjust to the pace and skill in the NHL. Mailloux will be no exception. However, he looks poised to make an impact once the Canadiens call him up.

Based on how Mailloux has played, it’s a matter of time before he’s on the Canadiens’ roster this season. He’s a two-way defenseman who is 6-foot-3 and weighs 212 pounds, making him a bigger skater as well. Hutson has the spotlight as the playmaker at the point, making him a Calder Trophy candidate. Mailloux might join him and only make the blue line better.