The Next PK Subban Already in the Canadiens Organization?

For nearly seven seasons, former Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban thrilled the Bell Centre crowd numerous times with his spectacular maneuvers and ease in contributing offensively. A true quarterback of the Canadiens' power play, the 2007 second-round pick reached the 50-point plateau for three consecutive seasons.

Indeed, the CH management potentially got their hands on the future P.K. Subban in the 2021 draft with the selection of Logan Mailloux at the 31st overall. Indeed, in his first season in the professional ranks, the former London Knights player impresses greatly with his ability to create scoring opportunities in the offensive zone.

He stands out especially for his skill in finding the back of the net, with statistics superior to all rookie defensemen in the American Hockey League since 2004-2005. In fact, if the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge prospect continues on his current path, he could be the first to reach the mark of 19 goals in his first year in the AHL.

The only two defensemen to have come close to this threshold are P.K. Subban and Justin Schultz, who both scored 18 goals in their rookie season, hence the comparison between the former number 76 and the Canadiens prospect.

Of course, their playing styles are rather different, but it is undeniable that there are some similarities observable in their ability to generate offense. Recently selected for the NHL All-Star Game, Logan Mailloux has been even more impressive since the demotion of Arber Xhekaj to Laval.

The 20-year-old defenseman, standing 6'3" and weighing over 220 pounds, has amassed an impressive total of 8 goals and 14 assists (22 points) in 35 games so far this season. He is on track to collect 45 points, a plateau that no rookie defenseman has reached in 2022-2023.

This year, Brandt Clarke, who was an eighth overall pick, is the only defenseman to have amassed more points than the number 24 of the Laval Rocket.

While many fans criticized the organization for selecting Logan Mailloux in 2021, it's likely that the vast majority of them are very satisfied to have a prospect of his caliber on the team. It's hard to predict his future, but everything suggests he will become an important member of Martin St-Louis's defensive brigade in the coming years.

Certainly, it will be very interesting to follow his progression throughout the season, as he undoubtedly has very promising potential. We are eager to see him don the Canadiens uniform in the NHL.

Credit: Go Nordiques