In his opinion, the seventh defenseman spot will come down to a competition between Xhekaj and Mailloux. He shared this perspective during the most recent episode of his podcast, «Tellement Hockey»:
According to him, it's Xhekaj's disappointing camp that has put him in this position.
As things stand, barring any major surprise, the top defensive pair will likely be Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson, while the second pair will consist of David Savard and Lane Hutson.
As for the third pair, it will likely include Justin Barron, who gets a boost thanks to the structure of his contract.
The rest remains uncertain.
If Kent Hughes wants to see David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux in the NHL this season, as journalist Eric Engels recently reported, he might be forced to make a trade.
A trade involving Justin Barron? A trade involving David Savard?
It's something to watch, but I'll reiterate that, in my humble opinion, it would be a mistake for the Canadiens to trade David Savard and remove him as Lane Hutson's defensive partner.
And if it were your decision, what would you do in Kent Hughes' place?
POLL | ||
28 SEPTEMBRE | 736 ANSWERS Marc Antoine Godin suggests it's between Arber Xhekaj and Logan Mailloux: a trade in the works? Which trade would you prefer more? | ||
David Savard for a 1st-round pick | 150 | 20.4 % |
Justin Barron for a 2nd round pick | 196 | 26.6 % |
None of those answers | 208 | 28.3 % |
I would trade both of them | 182 | 24.7 % |
List of polls |