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If Logan Mailloux is recalled, he must play

If Logan Mailloux is recalled, he must play
Credit: Getty Images
For now, alongside the major injury to Kaiden Guhle and the call-up of Jayden Struble, the Canadiens have six healthy defensemen. And until proven otherwise, those are the six guys who will play tonight.

The Canadiens had to recall Struble in the coming days, and before Guhle got injured, it wasn’t hard to predict that the American would be recalled before the trip to California.

Expect the Montreal team to depart tomorrow for Martin St-Louis’s men.

But for the trip, it seems obvious to me that the CH will need to call up one more guy. After all, the club can’t have just six healthy defensemen while playing at the other end of the continent.

Yes, Logan Mailloux will also be in California during the AHL All-Star Game… but you understand what I mean: it’s easier to recall a guy when the club is at home.

So who will the extra defenseman be?

The answer on everyone’s lips is Logan Mailloux. He is regaining his form in Laval with important goals, he is right-handed, he is a first-round pick, etc.

But be careful before assuming it will be Mailloux. After all, we must ask ourselves: what role does the CH want to assign to the player who will be recalled? Will it be an on-ice role at the expense of Jayden Struble? Will it be a role as a spectator?

Because that changes the game.

Obviously, the player who will be recalled will be part of a group aimed at replacing Guhle since no one can do it alone. Each must have his specific role.

And that’s why I say we need to know what the CH is looking for to determine the player the club needs.

Mailloux is not playing at the same level as Guhle (even if they are trying to make him a defensive player in Laval) and it’s possible that the Canadiens are looking for a more reliable player defensively.

And it’s also possible that Martin St-Louis wants to play Struble. He will, however, need to have a strong game tonight to demonstrate that he can be counted on.

If that is the case, the name of Gustav Lindstrom should be kept in mind – as I mentioned yesterday and as Anthony Marcotte mentioned this morning on the radio. The defenseman could very well be recalled to go watch the games in all the arenas in California without changing the future of the organization.

No, I am not suggesting Lindstrom for his innate scoring talent, you’ll understand.

Because even if the CH has been winning more than before for two months, the goal remains the same: we must develop young players properly. We need to think about what is best for them.

If the best for Mailloux is recalling Lindstrom (who is also better defensively than Mailloux in the NHL, as noted) to keep hope alive in the AHL, so be it because he really should not be warming a bench in the press box.

But if the CH determines that it’s better to promote Mailloux (whether to develop him, to get minutes, or to showcase him), that’s what must be done.

Will the answer come in the next few days? Clearly, yes.


In Brief

– Happy listening.

– Excellent choice for captain.

– Depth is needed in Toronto.

– The CH will practice at 10:30 this morning.

– David Reinbacher: a crucial return. [BPM Sports]

– The CH is still just two points away from the playoffs.

(Credit: NHL.com)
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