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

[Estimated_Prophet]

He’s already better than Barron offensively and defensively so worst case scenario he’s a #5-6

I do think he will infuriate fans though as he has all the tools to be a #1 except brains

Worst case scenario is career AHLer

 

[HabsAddict]

Mailman? Banned ! Worse than Thorpedo

But...but....butt....it's the meds.

 

[HabsAddict]

Before you throw in the towel...

X has been working with the coaches to change his game and his thinking. Something as simple as keeping his stick well in front and trying to make contact with his stick before physical contact. It's back to Defense 101...and he is now far, far better then the first ten games.

Mailman is making wrong decisions and overplaying. He's making a basic mistake in looking for options were there aren't any and needs to move the puck. He looks lost and slow doing that...because he simply has no time to think nor will he ever have any. PLUS he has work to do on his edges and balance.

Anticipate and "touch it" forward...don't try to be Lemieux or Orr.

Start from the beginning...concentrate on defense and positioning. His shot and offensive instincts won't disappear, but his value to the team will skyrocket. Even if he makes it for now as a Savard replacement then it's a start. Then work the offense in.

I always fear these kids think they are better then they are and turn into Beaulieu. A guy who had all the tools but simply never made the effort to learn and improve.

Give him time....and lots of hopium...

 

[HabsAddict]

Personally I’m not a fan of holding every asset until you know for sure what they are, but I would hold onto Mailloux because we aren’t in any rush to trade RHD and when he makes the NHL I believe he will have more value than he does now.

There’s still a chance he can hit as a Top Pairing OFD I just don’t think he’ll ever be trusted in the dying minutes when we are trailing or tied

You could of said that about X and a few months later, he's on the PK.

Development is everything. X and Mailman missed huge chunks of it and it shows. So does their improvement as it comes. .

 

[HabsAddict]

Interesting article and says pretty much what I posted.

I absolutely believe thar Mailman can imitate X level of progress.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5973934/2024/12/06/montreal-canadiens-arber-xhekaj/

 

[Habssince89]

Interesting article and says pretty much what I posted.

I absolutely believe thar Mailman can imitate X level of progress.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5973934/2024/12/06/montreal-canadiens-arber-xhekaj/

I think you might be his biggest fan (no issue with that).

He has a lot of interesting tools, and while the trend is that in general players are coming into the league younger and younger, some guys are still going to take a more traditional route to become NHL-ready. He might need extra time, and that's not the end of the world. As a player, I'm sure you'd love to make the NHL at 18-19, but in reality wouldn't you rather come up at 22-23 and be 100% ready. Every player is different, and the good thing talent and size are two things you can't teach and he has them both. In the end, I expect him to be a second pairing guy at best.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I think you might be his biggest fan (no issue with that).

He has a lot of interesting tools, and while the trend is that in general players are coming into the league younger and younger, some guys are still going to take a more traditional route to become NHL-ready. He might need extra time, and that's not the end of the world. As a player, I'm sure you'd love to make the NHL at 18-19, but in reality wouldn't you rather come up at 22-23 and be 100% ready. Every player is different, and the good thing talent and size are two things you can't teach and he has them both. In the end, I expect him to be a second pairing guy at best.

Mailloux has the tools to become a very good top 4D. It's up to him and his hockey IQ to comprehend his challenges as he plays AHL and gets some NHL games mixed in. Problem with our young D core is they are mixed in together.

Imagine if Mailloux had a chance to play with Tampa or a team with more maturity in their D? I think the NHL results are much different. You see this with other young players who shine earlier... they are mixed in a D core where they can slide in easily and their partner is a stud.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

You could of said that about X and a few months later, he's on the PK.

Development is everything. X and Mailman missed huge chunks of it and it shows. So does their improvement as it comes. .

Do you disagree with anything I said?

The hope is that Mailloux will be better than Xhekaj of course, not really a good comparison with a first rounder and UDFA

 

[Deebs]

Interesting article and says pretty much what I posted.

I absolutely believe thar Mailman can imitate X level of progress.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5973934/2024/12/06/montreal-canadiens-arber-xhekaj/

Stop trying to make "Mailman" happen lol. j/k

 

[HabsAddict]

Stop trying to make "Mailman" happen lol. j/k

It already has...because when i write Mailman you know exactly who I'm talking about.

And X

And MThead

And BargainBin

And SMarty

 

[HabsAddict]

.

Imagine if Mailloux had a chance to play with Tampa or a team with more maturity in their D? I think the NHL results are much different. You see this with other young players who shine earlier... they are mixed in a D core where they can slide in easily and their partner is a stud.

This is a massive problem because if we had someone like Markov who thought through the game, it's probably 2 or 3 times an accelerator to their development.

I go back to Komisarek. I scouted him from Hamilton and was stunned at his lack of progress. That was due to Julien who couldn't care less about anything other then winning. Yet Komi was servicable when he played with Markov. As soon as he left, he flopped out.

 

[Habssince89]

Mailloux has the tools to become a very good top 4D. It's up to him and his hockey IQ to comprehend his challenges as he plays AHL and gets some NHL games mixed in. Problem with our young D core is they are mixed in together.

Imagine if Mailloux had a chance to play with Tampa or a team with more maturity in their D? I think the NHL results are much different. You see this with other young players who shine earlier... they are mixed in a D core where they can slide in easily and their partner is a stud.

I'm morbidly curious in what sergachev would have become if he stayed a hab

 

[Frankenheimer]

Mailman is not that great. Worked for Karl Malone (cause he always delivers), but what's the link other than both contain "Mail". BargainBin also funny, and true. I would wait this out a bit more until his identity is a bit clearer, cause any nickname now would be on the less flattering side.

 

[HabsAddict]

I think you might be his biggest fan (no issue with that).

He has a lot of interesting tools, and while the trend is that in general players are coming into the league younger and younger, some guys are still going to take a more traditional route to become NHL-ready. He might need extra time, and that's not the end of the world. As a player, I'm sure you'd love to make the NHL at 18-19, but in reality wouldn't you rather come up at 22-23 and be 100% ready. Every player is different, and the good thing talent and size are two things you can't teach and he has them both. In the end, I expect him to be a second pairing guy at best.

I'm a Habs fan first and any player second.

X and Mailman hold a higher interest because i grew up playing RHD even at the lofty hights of...beer league.

I also watch the game with different eyes. I record them and are just as interested how the game is played as the score. So when i use to go to AHL Hamilton games, i sat in three different areas only to scout players. That was interesting and fun for me.

i recently bought a 83" tv and now can see the game with no blur and much better details. It's not the same as being there but it renewed my interest in how some players play the game.

So to your point, i am a "fan" in that I'm watching and enjoying the development of X and Mailman. Also have no problem calling them out for stupid plays.

X is improving nicely, Mailman not so much. He's just now simplifying his game and not overplaying the puck. He looks lost and prone to disasterous giveaways because he's trying to do multiple choices on the fly...and there simply no time at the NHL level. He doesn't have elite skating or vision or game processing to do that.

So it's back to square one with Mailman and needs to follow the X path. Do the basics right then add his existing offence on top instead of thinking that he's going to just "adjust" his game.

X went through that curve. When he first broke in, his offense was valued but he boneheaded the rest of his game. Now it's back to basics and then add the offense as he gets more comfortable and consistent with his decisions.

I don't know who is going to be a " better" player in 5 years and frankly, i don't care. We can only dream that they are top pairing and privide a decade of solid defense AND offense.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Mailman? Banned ! Worse than Thorpedo

In Soviet Russia, letters Mailloux!

 

[ChesterNimitz]

I'm a Habs fan first and any player second.

X and Mailman hold a higher interest because i grew up playing RHD even at the lofty hights of...beer league.

I also watch the game with different eyes. I record them and are just as interested how the game is played as the score. So when i use to go to AHL Hamilton games, i sat in three different areas only to scout players. That was interesting and fun for me.

i recently bought a 83" tv and now can see the game with no blur and much better details. It's not the same as being there but it renewed my interest in how some players play the game.

So to your point, i am a "fan" in that I'm watching and enjoying the development of X and Mailman. Also have no problem calling them out for stupid plays.

X is improving nicely, Mailman not so much. He's just now simplifying his game and not overplaying the puck. He looks lost and prone to disasterous giveaways because he's trying to do multiple choices on the fly...and there simply no time at the NHL level. He doesn't have elite skating or vision or game processing to do that.

So it's back to square one with Mailman and needs to follow the X path. Do the basics right then add his existing offence on top instead of thinking that he's going to just "adjust" his game.

X went through that curve. When he first broke in, his offense was valued but he boneheaded the rest of his game. Now it's back to basics and then add the offense as he gets more comfortable and consistent with his decisions.

I don't know who is going to be a " better" player in 5 years and frankly, i don't care. We can only dream that they are top pairing and privide a decade of solid defense AND offense.

You sound passionate and knowledgeable. You could scout for my organization.

Your observation that Mailloux lacks elite skating, says it all. Everything else is secondary to this writer.

I took keen interest in Mailloux once Bergevin decided, against the then prevailing wisdom, to draft this controversial player. I followed him closely in London and then during his rookie season in Laval. I, like you, care little about the score of the gamesthat I watch when Montreal prospects are playing. As most know, in my reviews of Laval games, I rarely talk about the game itself but focus on the performance of the players that I consider prospects. Career AHLers, are exactly that: AHL players who will have marginal or no impact (other than role models) on the fortunes of the Canadiens.

From the beginning, I had heard laudatory assessments that Mailloux was this big defenceman who was physically imposing and who was an elite skater. Almost immediately I realized that this characterization was nonsense. He was neither physical nor a great skater. I reported that from my observation he was a finesse defenceman with only, average, at best skating ability. He did however have exceptional vision in the offensive zone, an above average short and the best first pass that I had seen since Subban. But I also stated that he had no idea how to play defence. He reminded me of a forward who was pressed into duty as a defenceman because of injuries to the team's real defencemen. I also repeatedly opined that Mailloux's development was really hurt by the time he missed as a result of COVID, his suspensions and injuries.

Nothing I have seen this year in any way has really changed my basic opinion of Mailloux and his potential. His strengths remain the same: good offensive instincts/vision, an NHL level shot and he has excellent passing skills, as good as any player in the Canadiens' system. The bad is manifest. Mailloux is not a great skater. Particularly when he is carrying the puck. Some players are great skaters when carrying the puck while others slow down once the puck is on their stick. Regrettably, Mailloux is one of the latter. It is this deficiency that makes Mailloux so vulnerable to the forecheck and the resulting horrors that we saw in his brief stay with the Canadiens when on several occasions the Canadiens were pinned in their zone for extended periods of time. Mailloux can't beat the first forechecker and lacks the ability to create time and space for himself to make an exit play. How often have you ever seen Mailloux transport the puck from the defensive zone, through the neutral zone and gain possession/control in the offensive zone? Compare his ability in this regard to Engstrom's and Trudeau's. Mailloux is simply an inefficient skater who just can't create the acceleration with the puck necessary to escape the forechecker pressure and transport the puck effectively and consistently.

Defensively, Mailloux has improved his game. He is no longer trying to play ball hockey on the ice. His reads are better and his pinches in all zones of the ice are more effective. He uses his reach to break up rushes and has learned to better box out opposing players in front of his net and control players along the boards. Mailloux, however, is no Scott Stevens and never will be. He is often caught out of position and allows opposing forwards to get behind him. This lack of defensive acumen is shown in the coaching staff's decision to not use Mailloux on the penalty killing unit.

Bottom line, I don't think this kid will ever be a top line NHL defenceman. Those predicting Mailloux as a future top 4 defenceman on the Canadiens are engaging in an exercise of wishful thinking. At best, he will be a swing defenceman who can play on the second power play unit. Or, as I suggested almost two years ago, a power forward. I hope I'm wrong, but after watching Mailloux closely for almost 3 years now, nothing that I have seen gives me confidence that this player has some undisclosed talent that is awaiting to emerge and allow him to be the player that so many here expect. I hope I'm wrong.

In 2021, Bergevin drafted Mailloux 31 OA. The Ducks drafted Olen Zellweger 34 OA that year. Passing on Zellweger in favour of Mailloux was a major lost opportunity. In Monday's game, Zellweger gave everyone watching a pretty convincing display of what elite skating is. I thought he was far more impressive than even Hutson.

When you can skate anything is possible, when you can't nothing is. Just look at the difference: Zellweger who is able to dominate in an NHL game and Mailloux who continues to ply his trade in the AHL. It's not even close.


.

 

[Hins77]

You sound passionate and knowledgeable. You could scout for my organization.

Your observation that Mailloux lacks elite skating, says it all. Everything else is secondary to this writer.

I took keen interest in Mailloux once Bergevin decided, against the then prevailing wisdom, to draft this controversial player. I followed him closely in London and then during his rookie season in Laval. I, like you, care little about the score of the gamesthat I watch when Montreal prospects are playing. As most know, in my reviews of Laval games, I rarely talk about the game itself but focus on the performance of the players that I consider prospects. Career AHLers, are exactly that: AHL players who will have marginal or no impact (other than role models) on the fortunes of the Canadiens.

From the beginning, I had heard laudatory assessments that Mailloux was this big defenceman who was physically imposing and who was an elite skater. Almost immediately I realized that this characterization was nonsense. He was neither physical nor a great skater. I reported that from my observation he was a finesse defenceman with only, average, at best skating ability. He did however have exceptional vision in the offensive zone, an above average short and the best first pass that I had seen since Subban. But I also stated that he had no idea how to play defence. He reminded me of a forward who was pressed into duty as a defenceman because of injuries to the team's real defencemen. I also repeatedly opined that Mailloux's development was really hurt by the time he missed as a result of COVID, his suspensions and injuries.

Nothing I have seen this year in any way has really changed my basic opinion of Mailloux and his potential. His strengths remain the same: good offensive instincts/vision, an NHL level shot and he has excellent passing skills, as good as any player in the Canadiens' system. The bad is manifest. Mailloux is not a great skater. Particularly when he is carrying the puck. Some players are great skaters when carrying the puck while others slow down once the puck is on their stick. Regrettably, Mailloux is one of the latter. It is this deficiency that makes Mailloux so vulnerable to the forecheck and the resulting horrors that we saw in his brief stay with the Canadiens when on several occasions the Canadiens were pinned in their zone for extended periods of time. Mailloux can't beat the first forechecker and lacks the ability to create time and space for himself to make an exit play. How often have you ever seen Mailloux transport the puck from the defensive zone, through the neutral zone and gain possession/control in the offensive zone? Compare his ability in this regard to Engstrom's and Trudeau's. Mailloux is simply an inefficient skater who just can't create the acceleration with the puck necessary to escape the forechecker pressure and transport the puck effectively and consistently.

Defensively, Mailloux has improved his game. He is no longer trying to play ball hockey on the ice. His reads are better and his pinches in all zones of the ice are more effective. He uses his reach to break up rushes and has learned to better box out opposing players in front of his net and control players along the boards. Mailloux, however, is no Scott Stevens and never will be. He is often caught out of position and allows opposing forwards to get behind him. This lack of defensive acumen is shown in the coaching staff's decision to not use Mailloux on the penalty killing unit.

Bottom line, I don't think this kid will ever be a top line NHL defenceman. Those predicting Mailloux as a future top 4 defenceman on the Canadiens are engaging in an exercise of wishful thinking. At best, he will be a swing defenceman who can play on the second power play unit. Or, as I suggested almost two years ago, a power forward. I hope I'm wrong, but after watching Mailloux closely for almost 3 years now, nothing that I have seen gives me confidence that this player has some undisclosed talent that is awaiting to emerge and allow him to be the player that so many here expect. I hope I'm wrong.

In 2021, Bergevin drafted Mailloux 31 OA. The Ducks drafted Olen Zellweger 34 OA that year. Passing on Zellweger in favour of Mailloux was a major lost opportunity. In Monday's game, Zellweger gave everyone watching a pretty convincing display of what elite skating is. I thought he was far more impressive than even Hutson.

When you can skate anything is possible, when you can't nothing is. Just look at the difference: Zellweger who is able to dominate in an NHL game and Mailloux who continues to ply his trade in the AHL. It's not even close.


.

i disagree that Zellweger was better than Hutson. Maybe Zellweger is a superior skater. I agree with you on that. But Hutson has an offensive flair clearly better. Zellwegger skate fast yes, but thats probably his only weapon. Hutson is able to dangle the puck and get rid of an oponnent. By himself he is able to create a 5 vs 4 or 4 vs 3. He is making pass where nobody were thinking. I'm not saying Zellweger is a bad player, but from what I saw, I take Hutson over Zelwegger and this is not close. Zellweger is like a next Cam Fowler while Hutson is a next Adam Fox.