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“The last defensive position is between Logan Mailloux and Arber Xhekaj”.

 Michael Johnson
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“The last defensive position is between Logan Mailloux and Arber Xhekaj”.
Credit: Getty Images

Hockey fans, we’re almost there! Only ten days remain until the start of the 2024-2025 National Hockey League season in North America, on October 8.

I specify North America, as the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils will play the first two official games of the regular season on October 4 and 5 in Prague, Czech Republic.

As for the Montreal Canadiens, the season kicks off on October 9, the day after the first games in North America, and between now and then, the Habs management still has a number of big decisions to make.

In fact, there are still far too many players left in the Habs’ training camp, so there are still a number of players to be cut.

Obviously, there will be some easy decisions, like sending Xavier Simoneau, William Trudeau and Lucas Condotta to Laval, for example, but there will also be some very difficult ones, like the one concerning Oliver Kapanen.

Do we keep him in Montreal or send him back to Sweden?

In short, Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, Martin St-Louis and their team still have some big issues to deal with, on the defensive side too.

According to Marc-Antoine Godin, the last position will be between Arber Xhekaj and Logan Mailloux.

Seeing Xhekaj’s name in this latest defensive battle, and therefore in danger of going to Laval, may surprise some, but in the end, as Godin explains, Xhekaj didn’t have the best of sides.

He had a tough game against the Maple Leafs, and didn’t visit Max Domi, which puts him somewhat in the hot soup at the moment.

When it comes to defensemen, Godin is quite right in his prediction.

Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, David Savard, Lane Hutson, Justin Barron and Jayden Struble should remain in Montreal.

That leaves only the seventh and final spot (unless the Habs decide to keep eight defensemen, which I doubt) on defense.

Of course, in the end, Xhekaj should have the upper hand over Mailloux, given his experience, but especially given that when he’s in the lineup, his teammates play with more security, ease and confidence.

He scares the opposition and is not afraid to defend his team-mates.

Let’s not forget, too, that Mailloux is having an ordinary camp, which doesn’t work in his favor when it comes to taming an NHL guy.

In short, here’s what I think the defensive pairings should look like to start the season.

Matheson – Guhle
Hutson – Savard
Xhekaj/Struble – Barron

Extra : Xhekaj/Struble

Of course, all this may yet change, but it remains the most likely scenario.


Overtime

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– Read more.

– For those interested.

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