Prospect Info: Logan Mailloux Part 3 The Only Hockey Talk Thread

[Zilo44]

Imagine if he hadn't have missed time from suspensions?

From a hockey perspective it sure did not help, but on a personal level it sure seemed like a humbling experience for the kid.

 

[1909]

Imagine if he hadn't have missed time from suspensions?

And injury and Covid....

Marinaro reporting Winnipeg is scouting the London Knights heavily. Could it be in a PLD trade??
I hope we don’t include him. I’d rather put Florida 1st in a deal. Not Mailloux.

Maybe a way to shove bad PR on the neighbour's driveway ? Habs need RHD. I hope they keep Mailloux.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Props to Chester Nimitz.
Are you from the London area?
Is Logan NHL or AhL ready?

No I’m not. But I am often in the London area when I’m attending competitions and tournaments when one of my teams is participating.

As for Mailloux, I was one of his earliest supporters. And it had little to do with his comparative on ice skills. When I heard that the Canadiens had drafted him despite the scandal that surrounded his off ice behaviour, I searched the internet to see if I could find a video of Mailloux being interviewed. One has to understand that in my position, I am responsible for literally thousands of youths who attend our programs and play on our provincial teams. I see all sort of troubled kids and have to address a myriad of disciplinary problems. When I watched one of the on-line Mailloux interviews I quickly came away with a positive impression as to this young man’s intelligence. He spoke with a level of articulation that I rarely see in the youths that I interact with. While I’m not suggesting that a player has to be Rhodes Scholar to have a successful career on the ice, having a higher intellect is very helpful and provides a good indicator of a player’s potential. Hence the importance that teams place on individual interviews during the draft process in all sports.

Once I was comforted by the level of Mailloux’s intelligence, I started the process of analyzing his on ice potential. As most here who have followed my ongoing post-game analyses of Mailloux’s play know, I am of the opinion that Mailloux’s combination of size, skating ability and high end skill, makes him one of Montreal’s few prospects who has the potential to be an impactful player at the next level.

Nevertheless, I remain concerned about the consistency of Mailloux’s compete level as there are times within games and in some cases, entire games, when Mailloux becomes largely invisible against opposition that is quite inferior to what he will face in the NHL or even in the AHL. Whether this inconsistency is a result of his lack of physical conditioning brought on by extended periods of inaction or the result of his justifiable understanding that his superior size and skill against smaller and lesser talented opposition does not require maximum effort, is unknown. I suspect it’s a little bit of both. Until Mailloux is prepared or able to maximize his on ice efforts, he cannot play at an effective level in the NHL and will struggle against even AHL level opposition. If it was my decision, I would see that Mailloux followed a rigid conditioning regime during the summer and start him off in Laval next fall, with the full expectation that Mailloux will still require significant time playing against players who are as big and skilled as him . See how he fares at the AHL level and if my pessimism is misplaced, then give him a shot with the big team towards the end of next year. If his performance remains uneven, then one must expect that the start or even the midpoint of the 2024-2025 season is a more realistic target for Mailloux to make the Canadiens.

 

[HuGort]

Thanks for the kind comments.

For the past ten years I have served as the Executive Director for a large provincial amateur sport organization whose mandate includes supporting grassroots sport and recreational programs and helping in the development of elite level athletes. Our organization is responsible for organizing and fielding midget aged female and male teams in a number of sports, including hockey, at national championships. Though I practiced law for over 30 years, I have been involved with hockey most of my long life starting as a player and serving in various volunteer roles including assistant coach, head coach and team manager.

Prior to my current position I served as a consultant for a number of hockey teams across Canada and ran several summer hockey leagues for under privileged kids. In my current role I have the luxury of having a number of skillful hockey scouts who help me assemble teams (male and female) that will be competing at national hockey championships and major tournaments. I try not to unduly interfere with their and the team manager / coaches' personnel decisions by limiting my involvement to one simple question: Will we be caught slow? I always remind my selection/management team of the old Russian saying: In hockey, if you can skate, anything is possible. If you can't, nothing is.

I have been a fan of the Montreal Canadiens for almost 70 years, having attended my first game at the old, old Montreal Forum in 1957. It was against Chicago, and Montreal won 5-2. I have had the privilege of watching all the greatest players of their respective eras: Richard, Howe, Lindsay; Beliveau, Cournoyer, Ratelle; Hull, Mikita, Keon, Horton, Orr , Esposito, Perreault, Martin, Lafleur, Robinson, Dionne, Salming, Bossy, Potvin, Lemieux, Gretzky, Coffey, Messier, Crosby, Bure, Ovechkin, McDavid, etc. I think I can say with some modesty that I have a small knowledge of the game of hockey. I come from a hockey family. My father played for the RCAF service team during the war. I inherited his passion for what I believe is the greatest sport in the world. As my life winds down, I will continue to follow my passion.

One final note. Some have asked me who was the greatest hockey player that I ever saw. For years, I used to have no hesitation in saying: Mario Lemieux. That I had never seen a player with his combination of size and skill. Now, I have no hesitation in saying : Conner McDavid. Its not even close. I can only say that if a better player comes along, let's all of us on this forum/board hope that he plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

Regards to all.

Even better than Orr?

 

[cphabs]

Thanks for the kind comments.

For the past ten years I have served as the Executive Director for a large provincial amateur sport organization whose mandate includes supporting grassroots sport and recreational programs and helping in the development of elite level athletes. Our organization is responsible for organizing and fielding midget aged female and male teams in a number of sports, including hockey, at national championships. Though I practiced law for over 30 years, I have been involved with hockey most of my long life starting as a player and serving in various volunteer roles including assistant coach, head coach and team manager.

Prior to my current position I served as a consultant for a number of hockey teams across Canada and ran several summer hockey leagues for under privileged kids. In my current role I have the luxury of having a number of skillful hockey scouts who help me assemble teams (male and female) that will be competing at national hockey championships and major tournaments. I try not to unduly interfere with their and the team manager / coaches' personnel decisions by limiting my involvement to one simple question: Will we be caught slow? I always remind my selection/management team of the old Russian saying: In hockey, if you can skate, anything is possible. If you can't, nothing is.

I have been a fan of the Montreal Canadiens for almost 70 years, having attended my first game at the old, old Montreal Forum in 1957. It was against Chicago, and Montreal won 5-2. I have had the privilege of watching all the greatest players of their respective eras: Richard, Howe, Lindsay; Beliveau, Cournoyer, Ratelle; Hull, Mikita, Keon, Horton, Orr , Esposito, Perreault, Martin, Lafleur, Robinson, Dionne, Salming, Bossy, Potvin, Lemieux, Gretzky, Coffey, Messier, Crosby, Bure, Ovechkin, McDavid, etc. I think I can say with some modesty that I have a small knowledge of the game of hockey. I come from a hockey family. My father played for the RCAF service team during the war. I inherited his passion for what I believe is the greatest sport in the world. As my life winds down, I will continue to follow my passion.

One final note. Some have asked me who was the greatest hockey player that I ever saw. For years, I used to have no hesitation in saying: Mario Lemieux. That I had never seen a player with his combination of size and skill. Now, I have no hesitation in saying : Conner McDavid. Its not even close. I can only say that if a better player comes along, let's all of us on this forum/board hope that he plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

Regards to all.

Thanks for sharing your expertise with us! Seriously!

 

[cphabs]

Imagine if he hadn't have missed time from suspensions?

Or Covid

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Even better than Orr?

McDavid, with how tough it was to play in the 70's 80's, not sure he would have been dominant like Lemieux, today, players are pampered compared to back then.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

 

[ChesterNimitz]

McDavid, with how tough it was to play in the 70's 80's, not sure he would have been dominant like Lemieux, today, players are pampered compared to back then.

Perhaps, but as I have gotten older, old sports heroes, like old girlfriends, look better with the passage of time.

The players of the current era are bigger, faster, and better overall athletes than those of the 70's and 80s. The game has also changed. Back when I first started to watch hockey, Canadian born players made up 95% of all NHL players. Most pundits and fans mockingly sneered at players from other countries who audaciously pretended that they could play our national game. Who of my generation can forget the "Chicken Swede' moniker that many called the first Swedish players that ventured into the NHL. Then came the Summit Series and many Canadian fans and sport writers learned the hard way that perhaps Canada wasn't the only place in the world that produced elite level hockey players. These 'other' players never had a chance.

The game in the 1990s and this century, is a global game where Canadian dominance is inexorably shrinking. Not only is the percentage of Canadian players in the NHL shrinking but many of the current and up and coming stars in the league are non-Canadian. One only has to review the rosters of each team and see the growing preponderance of non- Canadian players who have become core players for those teams. Even Montreal's most exciting current player, Caufield is American. Several of the Canadiens most promising players prospects are non-Canadian: Hutson, Farrell, Struble, Slafkovsky, Mesar, etc. Montreal is no different that all other teams.

The availability and presence of this flood of additional talent has made the game better and faster than the game and environment that the heroes of our past played in. Just watch some of the games from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and you will come away with the simple question: why is the level of play so slow? The answer is simple: because it is. Not to hurt too may readers' feelings, many of their and their fathers' favorite players wouldn't even be drafted to day. And this is an observation from a writer whose favorite player was and will always be the great Jean Beliveau. The fact that I believe he wouldn't be as great against the stronger competition he would face today doesn't lessen my admiration for 'my hero.' I have had the opportunity to debate my view of the comparative strengths of players over the decades/era many times. Mostly with people of my age, and who are staunch and knowledgeable Canadiens fans. As an illustrative/argumentative tool, I always ask this simple question: How would Montreal's Stanley Cup winning defensive corps of the mid to late 1960s (J. C.. Tremblay, Terry Harper, Ted Harris, Larry Hillman, Jacques Laperriere, Jim Roberts, Noel PicardJean Guy Talbot, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe) fare against the likes of McDavid, Mackinnon, etc. today? Most acknowledge that the result would be embarrassing.

There is little doubt that the best few players of the 1950s-1980s players could play and flourish in the current game. But the fact remains that most players of that era couldn't. And Lemieux, Orr and the other great heroes of the past played against the most who couldn't play today. They were playing in a lesser talent pool, which makes McDavid's current level of domination, all the more impressive. When Orr was interviewed a few years ago and was asked if he was a faster skater than McDavid, Orr only smiled and gave the interviewer a wry look that said it all: Are you kidding me?

 

[1909]

Perhaps, but as I have gotten older, old sports heroes, like old girlfriends, look better with the passage of time.

The players of the current era are bigger, faster, and better overall athletes than those of the 70's and 80s. The game has also changed. Back when I first started to watch hockey, Canadian born players made up 95% of all NHL players. Most pundits and fans mockingly sneered at players from other countries who audaciously pretended that they could play our national game. Who of my generation can forget the "Chicken Swede' moniker that many called the first Swedish players that ventured into the NHL. Then came the Summit Series and many Canadian fans and sport writers learned the hard way that perhaps Canada wasn't the only place in the world that produced elite level hockey players. These 'other' players never had a chance.

The game in the 1990 and this century, is a global game where Canadian dominance is inexorably shrinking. Not only is the percentage of Canadian players in the NHL shrinking but many of the current and up and coming stars in the league are non-Canadian. One only has to review the rosters of each team and see the growing preponderance of non- Canadian players who have become core players for those teams. Even Montreal's most exciting current player, Caufield is American. Several of the Canadiens most promising players prospects are non-Canadian: Hutson, Farrell, Struble, Slafkovsky, Mesar, etc. Montreal is no different that all other teams.

The availability and presence of this flood of additional talent has made the game better and faster than the game and environment that the heroes of our past played in. Just watch some of the games from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and you will come away with the simple question: why is the level of play so slow? The answer is simple: because it is. Not to hurt too may readers' feelings, many of their and their fathers' favorite players wouldn't even be drafted to day. And this is an observation from a writer whose favorite player was and will always be the great Jean Beliveau. The fact that I believe he wouldn't be as great against the stronger competition he would face today doesn't lessen my admiration for 'my hero.' I have had the opportunity to debate my view of the comparative strengths of players over the decades/era many times. Mostly with people of my age, and who are staunch and knowledgeable Canadiens fans. As an illustrative/argumentative tool, I always ask this simple question: How would Montreal's Stanley Cup winning defensive corps of the mid to late 1960s (J. C.. Tremblay, Terry Harper, Ted Harris, Larry Hillman, Jacques Laperriere, Jim Roberts, Noel PicardJean Guy Talbot, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe) fare against the likes of McDavid, Mackinnon, etc. today? Most acknowledge that the result would be embarrassing.

There is little doubt that the best few players of the 1950s-1980s players could play and flourish in the current game. But the fact remains that most players of that era couldn't. And Lemieux, Orr and the other great heroes of the past played against the most who couldn't play today. They were playing in a lesser talent pool, which makes McDavid's current level of domination, all the more impressive. When Orr was interviewed a few years ago and was asked if he was a faster skater than McDavid, Orr only smiled and gave the interviewer a wry look that said it all: Are you kidding me?

If past players had the same equipment, sticks, skates, training, nutrition , Summer camps, and so on, stars of the past would also be stars today. They would had naturally evolved with their time and according to the competition they are facing. The main huge difference is the goaltending. Their techiques and equipment (and size) are so different today than in the past.

 

[GobigorGohome]

Mario to me was the Best player of his generation .I would take him over Grezky 99 times out of 100.

Logan may never see the ice as a Hab.Something in the works.

 

[26Mats]

Beast

We finally drafted an RD the offseason when Weber all but retired.

Maybe in the first try, we got his replacement.

 

[GobigorGohome]

Beast

We finally drafted an RD the offseason when Weber all but retired.

Maybe inbthe first try, we got his replacement.

I bet Xhekaj can blast it 100 too .

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Beast

We finally drafted an RD the offseason when Weber all but retired.

Maybe inbthe first try, we got his replacement.

When this kid fills out he could become dangerous.

 

[BLONG7]

Mario to me was the Best player of his generation .I would take him over Grezky 99 times out of 100.

Logan may never see the ice as a Hab.Something in the works.

Something in the works??

 

[Skip Bayless]

Something in the works??

Winnebago Jets were scouting the Knights the other game.

 

[Scriptor]

Winnebago Jets were scouting the Knights the other game.

Right, had to be because Mailloux is heading to WIN...

Get real, there is a draft coming up and players to scout for that draft...

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

McDavid, with how tough it was to play in the 70's 80's, not sure he would have been dominant like Lemieux, today, players are pampered compared to back then.

LOL....This current version of McDavid would absolutely s**t all over the 70's and 80's.

The 80's had bums like Gary Leeman scoring 50 goals and was the easiest decade in the history of the league for skilled players to dominate. McDavid scores over 100 goals at least once in the 80's and demolishes every scoring record.

Lemieux was definitely more talented than Gretzky but Gretzky had a far superior supporting cast most of the time and showed up to play every night which Mario certainly did not for much of his early career.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

If past players had the same equipment, sticks, skates, training, nutrition , Summer camps, and so on, stars of the past would also be stars today. They would had naturally evolved with their time and according to the competition they are facing. The main huge difference is the goaltending. Their techiques and equipment (and size) are so different today than in the past.

Maybe. But all the best equipment in the world can’t turn Mr. Ed into Secretariat.

 

[DAChampion]

LOL....This current version of McDavid would absolutely s**t all over the 70's and 80's.

The 80's had bums like Gary Leeman scoring 50 goals and was the easiest decade in the history of the league for skilled players to dominate. McDavid scores over 100 goals at least once in the 80's and demolishes every scoring record.

Lemieux was definitely more talented than Gretzky but Gretzky had a far superior supporting cast most of the time and showed up to play every night which Mario certainly did not for much of his early career.

Gretzky was also healthier than Lemieux, but that goes without saying.

So with Gretzky, I've long found it easy to think that his dominance was an artifact of his era but ... He exceeded point per game production in the late 1990s dead puck era when he had an elderly late 30s body.

 

[Kimota]

McDavid, with how tough it was to play in the 70's 80's, not sure he would have been dominant like Lemieux, today, players are pampered compared to back then.

Imagine McDavid during the 90s clutch and grab. That's why I admire guys like Forsberg so much, that he could do so much in these conditions. The guy was the perfect machine.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Gretzky was also healthier than Lemieux, but that goes without saying.

So with Gretzky, I've long found it easy to think that his dominance was an artifact of his era but ... He exceeded point per game production in the late 1990s dead puck era when he had an elderly late 30s body.

Gretzky is 100% and incredible player, I wouldn't remotely argue against that. I just think Mario was more dangerous and his game would translate much better to today's game. Gretzky is still over a 100 point player in today's game but I do not think he would be as good as McDavid. Lemieux is Draisaitl on steroids and would dominate in today's game.

 

[Kimota]

Mario to me was the Best player of his generation .I would take him over Grezky 99 times out of 100.

Logan may never see the ice as a Hab.Something in the works.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Imagine McDavid during the 90s clutch and grab. That's why I admire guys like Forsberg so much, that he could do so much in these conditions. The guy was the perfect machine.

There were also a lot of extremely slow players who McDavid would annihilate on a far greater scale than the Bure's, Selanne's, Mogilny's were easily able to do.

 

[Tyson]

Wow I thought there was news or thoughts about Mailloux on the Mailloux thread. I was wrong.