The Logan Mailloux file is taking an increasingly worrying turn, and tensions surrounding its use with the Laval Rocket are reaching a critical point.
While the young defender represents one of the most promising hopes of the Montreal Canadiens, his relegation to the second numerical advantage unit, in particular because of the arrival of Noel Hoefenmayer, is perceived by those around him as a betrayal.
His agent and family are said to be furious to see Mailloux lose playing time on a vital facet of his development, all because of a decision by Kent Hughes.
When general manager Kent Hughes traded Jacob Perreault for Noel Hoefenmayer in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 6, few could have anticipated the direct impact on Mailloux’s role.
But now the arrival of Hoefenmayer shakes up the defensive hierarchy in Laval. According to Anthony Marcotte of BPM Sports, Mailloux has been completely left out of the Rocket’s power play units, now dominated by Hoefenmayer and young Adam Engström.
“Logan Mailloux no longer touches the Rocket’s power play. Noel Hoefenmayer and Adam Engström are well established on both waves. »
This development has sparked a wave of frustration among Mailloux’s entourage, who believe his attacking potential is underutilized.
With 15 points in 23 games this season in Laval and three points in five games during a brief stint with the Canadian, Mailloux had demonstrated that he could contribute offensively.
However, this demotion seems to slow down his momentum at a time when he needed ice time to continue to progress.
Mailloux’s agent and family are merciless in private. They consider that the organization, supposed to act like a “hockey family”, betrayed him by taking away responsibilities that he had deserved through his performances.
This frustration is amplified by the fact that this decision stems from a transaction orchestrated by Kent Hughes, who seems to have prioritized the addition of a player like Hoefenmayer without considering the impact on Mailloux’s development.
This apparent disavowal of the organization towards Mailloux raises legitimate questions about its future in Montreal.
Is he still in the Canadiens’ long-term plans, or could he become an exchangeable piece to meet other needs, such as a second center?
Its development, already marked by ups and downs, is now compromised by decisions that do not seem to be in its best interests.
Comparisons with other young prospects like Adam Engström, who continues to gain ground in Laval, do not work in his favor.
Meanwhile, Hoefenmayer, although newly arrived, is already establishing himself as a key element of the Rocket’s defensive brigade.
If this situation persists, Mailloux could lose even more of his confidence and value.
Logan Mailloux is at a crossroads, but recent decisions by the organization leave him in a difficult position.
If a hockey team is a family, then Mailloux must be wondering where his family is right now. Betrayed by the choices of those supposed to support him, he finds himself excluded from the role that had made him a rising star.
Kent Hughes and the Canadiens must quickly clarify their position on Mailloux. If he is still part of the plans, steps will need to be taken to restore his confidence and get him back on track.
Otherwise, he could well become the piece of a trade to fill another need of the team.
In any case, this file has become a time bomb for the Canadian.
The future of Logan Mailloux, once so promising, could well be decided in the coming weeks, and what seemed like a simple adjustment in Laval could turn into one of the biggest dilemmas of the Hughes era.
The CEO of CH is playing with fire. The recent transaction that brought Noel Hoefenmayer to Laval at the expense of Logan Mailloux’s role seems to have a clear objective: to send a message to the young defender.
Kent Hughes and his team are clearly looking to challenge Mailloux, hoping that he will respond to this adversity by redoubled his efforts.
But this type of strategy carries risks, and the Canadian could well be playing a dangerous game by managing a player of his caliber in this way.
The arrival of Hoefenmayer, quickly propelled onto the first wave of the numerical advantage, cannot be interpreted other than an alarm signal sent to Mailloux.
After all, the organization knows that he has immense potential, but also that he is going through a more difficult time.
The objective seems clear: to push Mailloux to fight to regain his place and show him that nothing is taken for granted. However, this approach could backfire if not managed well.
Mailloux, who has never hidden his ambition to become a centerpiece of the Canadiens’ defensive brigade, could perceive this decision as a disavowal of the confidence the organization places in him.
By relegating a player who scored 14 goals and amassed 33 assists during his first professional season to the second numerical advantage unit, the Canadian risks fueling frustrations, not only among Mailloux, but also those around him.
Where the game becomes dangerous for the Canadian is in the risk of mismanaging this issue. If tensions between Mailloux and the organization continue to rise, it could lead to an inevitable separation.
In such a scenario, Mailloux, at 20 years old, still has an entire career ahead of him and could easily explode into another market.
Clumsy management of this situation could turn against the Canadian, who would see a top player succeed in other colors.
This scenario is all the more worrying as the entire NHL is observing the situation closely. If open tensions between Mailloux and the Canadian become evident, the general managers of other teams will not fail to capitalize on this context.
They will know that the Canadian is in a weak position and will negotiate hard, offering returns well below Mailloux’s real value.
Kent Hughes is now faced with one of his most delicate cases since he took office.
He must balance the need to send a clear message to Mailloux without compromising his development or commitment to the organization.
Mismanagement could not only affect the relationship between player and team, but also reduce Mailloux’s value on the market, if it becomes clear that a divorce is inevitable.
Hughes has proven himself to be a smart negotiator, but he will need to use finesse and judgment in this case.
Managing a prospect as talented as Mailloux requires a balanced approach: let’s say that obtaining Noel Hoefenmayer via trade is a risky bet.
A bet that offends Mailloux and those close to him.
However, the defender has the potential to make Montreal regret any error in the management of its development.
For now, the message sent seems clear, but the price to pay for the organization could be higher than it imagines.
Hughes could end up getting burned…
