Canadiens’ Defensemen: Who Stays & Who Goes?
The Montreal Canadiens have gotten themselves in quite a pickle on the blue line. Drafting the best player available has merit, but when your cupboard is full of defensemen, you need to take stock and decide who stays and who goes. The Canadiens have veterans, young veterans, rookies, and prospects—they have them all. What the Habs don’t have, however, is enough top-six players.
Which Canadiens Veterans Should Stay?
The first order of business: have a look at the oldies. There were plenty of rumblings about David Savard being on his way out at the last trade deadline. Still, Kent Hughes didn’t get an offer that would be as valuable as Savard’s big brother’s help for the organization’s young blueliners. However, the situation may be different this season as Savard is entering the last year of his contract. Whatever happens, I do not see Savard finishing the season in a Canadiens jersey; Hughes will want something in return for the defenseman, who could be an asset for a contending team with his master’s degree in shot-blocking.
Next up, we have Mike Matheson. The veteran finished the season with a career-best 62 points, which made him the 9th most productive defenseman in the league. Matheson has two years remaining on a team-friendly contract, and for me, the time hasn’t come to trade him. His minus-24 is not great, but any offensive defenseman who joins the rush regularly will be hurting plus/minus-wise on a rebuilding team.
Many want to see him traded because of the many turnovers, but if the Canadiens are to stay in the playoffs mix later next season, they’ll need his offensive talent. Do not say: “But the Canadiens have Hutson and Mailloux!” Yes, they do, but the former is 20 years old, and even though he showed promise in the first couple of games he played, there is no need to put too much pressure on the kid too soon. As for the latter, yes, he was dominating offensively in the American Hockey League, but it doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to do the same for the Canadiens immediately.
Matheson must stay unless the other side offers proven top-six talent. The trade doesn’t have to be a one-for-one move; I believe the Canadiens could put together an attractive package with all the draft picks and defensive prospects Hughes has access to.
Which Young Canadiens Veterans Should Stay?
We’re moving along to the young veterans’ category with Kaiden Guhle. The defenseman will start his third season in October, but he plays much older than that. After Matheson, he is the second-leading defenseman on the team in ice time, only looking at those who played more than one or two games. I like Guhle’s style of play. He can be a modest offensive contributor (22 points last season), but he also plays a solid game; he’s very hard to dispossess of the puck and can hit as well. My only worry is his health, however, since he’s suffered many injuries already (concussions, knees, and ankles have been affected), but I’m not ready to call him injury-prone yet.
Next, we’ve got Jordan Harris. He’s an interesting case. To me, he is a “jack of all trades.” He does everything well, but there’s nothing at which he’s brilliant. While I love Harris regarding personality, he’s taken a stance about pride jerseys and racism, and he’s an eloquent young man with a good head on his shoulders. A team looking for consistency at the back could come knocking, and he could be just that.
Arber Xhekaj also falls in the same category. Even though he’s had two shoulder surgeries in as many years, I don’t foresee it diminishing his game and abilities. It’s been a long time since the Canadiens have had an Xhekaj-like player on their roster. Not only does he provide an intimidating presence to keep the opposition in check, but he can also be an offensive weapon at times, which, as many reporters have said, makes him a “unicorn” (from “Arber Xhekaj’s AHL debut looked nothing like what made him an NHL player, to begin with”, The Athletic, Dec 7, 2023). Do you know many players who play an “enforcer” role but also play on the second power-play unit? These capabilities are not a regular occurrence. For me, Xhekaj should be a mainstay on the third pairing as this team works on becoming a contender and beyond.
On to Justin Barron now; he is probably the player whose progression has been the most difficult. When Hughes acquired him from Colorado in return for Arturri Lehkonen, it was hoped Barron could be the smooth skating right shot defenseman the Canadiens had been looking for since P.K. Subban was sent packing back in 2016. So far, though, he hasn’t lived up to the expectations, and while I would prefer that he was traded, I’m not sure he’s got enough value for it to make it worth Hughes’ time to shop him around, as they say.
What About the Rookies?
Let’s look at rookies, starting with Logan Mailloux. His draft wasn’t well received by the fans initially, but now that they’ve seen him play and dominate in the AHL, quite a few people have changed their tune. He played the last game of the season with the Canadiens and didn’t look out of place. Yes, there are still some issues with his defensive game, but he’s only 21, and not all players develop at the same pace. Still, I believe his presence makes Barron expendable.
Jared Struble was a revelation on the CCanadiens’blue line this season. He took advantage of the fact that Xehkaj was sent to the AHL to work on his defensive game and take a spot in the regular Canadiens’ lineup. What impressed me the most at first was his poise and confidence. He played as if he had always been in an NHL lineup, but he turned out to be human and hit a few snags. He plays big, and while he puts up little points, he’s a tough and gritty player, which is exactly what you would like to have on your third pairing. Xhekaj and Struble have plenty in common, and I don’t think keeping them both is necessary. To me, it’s Struble who should be put on the market.
Which Prospects Are Staying?
Now, on to prospects, starting with Lane Hutson. I’m putting him in prospects because, unlike Mailloux, he hasn’t had a year of pro hockey experience. In the two games he played in the NHL at the end of the season, Mailloux already won over a lot of people. The fear was he would be too small to be able to have an impact in the NHL and that his game wouldn’t translate well, but I believe the small sample we saw was enough to keep this one. While he’s yet another left-shot defenseman, there’s something special there. Whether he should play in the AHL or the NHL is a question for another day, but this one is going nowhere outside the organization.
Finally, there is Adam Engstrom. I feel his name should be in the discussion since scouts rave about him, but I can’t say I’ve Watched him play enough to argue for either stance. I’m looking forward to rookie camp to see what he can bring to the ice.
Like Engstrom, I’ve seen very little of David Reinbacher, but my feeling is that the organization is very high on him. Furthermore, he’s a right-shot blueliner, which the organization needs. All eyes will no doubt be on him when rookie camp opens in September.
There you have it. Of all the defensemen in the Canadiens lineup, I believe Guhle, Xhekaj, Hutson, and Mailloux are untouchables. For the vets, Matheson doesn’t move unless it’s an amazing offer. For those who haven’t had a professional season yet, I’ll have to wait to pronounce myself, as I’ve not seen them play enough.
