Logan Mailloux must have been disappointed last Wednesday when the Montreal Canadiens decided to send him back to the AHL instead of bringing him on the team’s road trip, but with Kaiden Guhle and Justin Barron ready to return to the lineup, a move needed to be made.
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Mailloux didn’t mope around though, he put his working boots right back on and produced a goal and four assists in 2 games, helping the Rocket continue its winning streak which is now up to seven games, a team record. On Friday night, he had an assist in a 2-1 victory over the Providence Bruins before notching a goal and three assist in Laval’s 6-3 triumph on Saturday.
Although the blueliner has only featured in four games with the Rocket this season, he is tied for the league lead amongst defensemen with six assists, three goals and nine points.
In his rookie season last year, he was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team after compiling 47 points in 72 games with the Rocket. Drafted in the first-round by the Canadiens in 2021, Mailloux has shown great things so far but still needs to polish his game before being NHL ready.
While he can at times look too strong for the AHL, he is not yet good enough to be able to develop properly at the NHL level. Mailloux probably doesn’t see it that way, but the fact Justin Barron has to go through waivers to be sent to Laval might work in his favour in the long run. It’s easy to rush someone’s development, but no-one has ever suffered from playing too many games in the AHL.
Furthermore, under Pascal Vincent’s guidance and in winning conditions he’ll also have a better opportunity to assimilate the hybrid defensive system the organization seems dead set on using. If the rearguards are struggling to execute it in the NHL, they appear to perfectly understand it in the AHL.
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