Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux has been dynamite for the Laval Rocket this season. The young defenceman’s stellar play on both ends of the ice has not gone unnoticed either, with the Habs hopeful earning a spot at the upcoming AHL All-Star Classic.
Netting eight goals and 24 points over 37 games with the Rocket so far, Mailloux credits a lot of his recent success to spending the last seven weeks on a pairing with Canadiens defender Arber Xhekaj.
“We just kind of clicked well together. I think it took us maybe a game or two. We read off each other well,” Mailloux told reporters after practice on Tuesday. “We played hard, both played physical, we were good defensively. We were winning a lot. That’s what matters at the end of the day.”
But the Rocket’s top pairing — who have played a major role in helping the team secure eight victories in their last 10 games — is no more, with Xhekaj being recalled to Montreal on Monday.
Unsurprisingly, Mailloux faced questions about when he thinks his time with the Habs will come.
“I didn’t think that I was gonna go up there before [Xhekaj]. I thought he was just gonna come down here for a few days at first and then he ended up staying for a little while,” the 20-year-old said. “Obviously, that’s the goal is to get the call, but there’s no rush at the end of the day. I’m not going home every day hoping or worrying that I get the call.”
And along with finding chemistry on the ice, Mailloux and Xhekaj seemed to have developed a strong personal bond.
“He’s obviously an awesome dude and a great player,” Xhekaj said of Mailloux after his first practice back with the Canadiens.
And despite being just two years his senior, the undrafted blueliner appears to be mentoring Mailloux, Montreal’s controversial first-round pick in the 2021 Draft.
“He’s not some guy who will brush me off if I tell him something and be like ‘whatever man’ – he really listens and really takes it in,” Xhekaj explained. “I know I’m only a couple years older than him but he really did listen to me, and he’s a great player.”
As for whether we will see the dynamic duo reunited at the NHL level, Mailloux seems very keen on the idea.
“That’d be pretty cool,” he said laughing. “That’s the goal… And I think we’d be able to play the same way up there.”
Follow Channels and Categories