Blues Sign Logan Mailloux To One-Year Extension
Having just started their game tonight, the St. Louis Blues announced that defenseman Logan Mailloux has been signed to a one-year, one-way contract extension worth $850k.
Acquired by the Blues last summer from Montreal in exchange for Zachary Bolduc, Mailloux has had his struggles this season across 31 games. The 6’3″ righty known as an offensive defender has just two points, and is a -21.
St. Louis, in the process of a youth movement of sorts, clearly still values the former first round pick and is intent on developing him further. Interestingly, given his previous draft status and current production underwhelming, Mailloux will come in on his next deal at a cap hit $25k below his current $875k, although it brings stability with one-way status.
A restricted free agent at season’s end, the organization was in no particular hurry to work out a deal, but with Mailloux now settled, they can turn attention to their other pending restricted free agents: Dylan Holloway, Jonatan Berggren, and Matthew Kessel, with a core essentially locked up.
Subject to criticism considering his play this season, which offers metrics among the league’s worst both offensively and defensively, the 22-year-old is still a project of sorts. Mailloux is in a strange place at the moment, in which he has contributed at the highest level considerably more than his counterparts, other defensemen selected in the back half of the 2021 draft’s first round, but also not showing much progress either.
Fresh out of the OHL, the Windsor, Ontario native burst onto the scene with the Laval Rocket in 2023-24, posting 47 points and representing the team at the AHL All Star Game. There were concerns with his decision-making, especially in his own zone, but Montreal figured to have an intriguing prospect, offering the size and skill on the back end that scouts salivate over.
Breaking into the NHL in eight games as a Hab, Mailloux recorded five points, but he was unable to solidify a role, spending most of 2024-25 back in Laval. After recording 33 points, a step back from his rookie campaign, the Canadiens brought in star Noah Dobson, further clouding Mailloux’s future, already contending with fellow top prospect David Reinbacher.
In a simple player swap, Mailloux was brought in to St. Louis in exchange for Bolduc last July, another 2021 draftee. Since then, he has struggled under Head Coach Jim Montgomery, his defensive lapses especially magnified. Remaining confident in his potential, the Blues have remained patient, keeping him in the lineup of late, mostly in sheltered third pairing roles.
After a hot start with Montreal, Bolduc has cooled off a bit, with 17 points in 46 games. Another restricted free agent to-be, we may figure out the team’s plans with the forward sooner rather than later. Naturally, it will be compared to Mailloux and his deal today, which is indicative that St. Louis remains cautiously optimistic.
With the team seemingly out of playoff reach, Mailloux offers enough raw potential that they have little to lose in giving it another year. By the end of the extension, the righty will be 24, still on the young side, but at an age in which their evaluations can be grounded. St. Louis features accomplished veteran puck movers Justin Faulk and Cam Fowler, who the youngster can lean on.
Typically regarded as the Blues’ top defense prospect, if he’s unable to pan out, thankfully the team has Adam Jiříček coming along, who offers the same size as Mailloux with potentially more sound defensive play. Selected 16th overall in 2024, the Czech is still a ways away from contribution. Philip Broberg, another former first rounder brought in by the team in their retool, has flourished in a big way. The lefty earned a six-year extension last Saturday.
Things have yet to work out for Mailloux, but still in need of youth, the Blues will give it another year to try and unlock his potential.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
St. Louis Blues Recall Logan Mailloux
The St. Louis Blues announced today that defenseman Logan Mailloux has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
While Mailloux struggled quite a bit during his first stint on the Blues’ NHL roster, his reassignment to the AHL was never expected to be a lengthy one. TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reported today that the Blues had always planned for Mailloux to play five games in the AHL before returning to the NHL.
That’s exactly what’s happened thanks to this recall. Mailloux got into five games with Springfield, scoring two goals. The Blues reassigned defenseman Hunter Skinner, the player they recalled to fill Mailloux’s vacated NHL roster spot, yesterday in a move that pre-empted today’s recall.
Mailloux’s ability at the AHL level has never been in question, and his solid play in his recent five-game stint served as further proof of that. Mailloux is a two-time AHL All-Star who landed on the league’s All-Rookie team after his 47-point rookie campaign with the Laval Rocket, and on the league’s “Top Prospects” list last season, one where he scored 33 points in just 63 games.
As a player who offers a rare combination of size, strength, and offensive ability from the blueline, Mailloux has long been a coveted talent. The Blues surrendered Zachary Bolduc, coming off of a strong 19-goal rookie season, in order to acquire him. But his first nine games playing for the Blues were nothing short of a disaster, as routine defensive lapses and an inability to translate his offensive talents left him scoreless with a minus-12 rating.
Those high-profile struggles are what prompted the Blues to send Mailloux down to the AHL in order to help him “reset” his game. After five games, the hope is likely that Mailloux has gained some confidence playing in a level he’s a star at, and will be able to translate that confidence into improved play at the NHL level.
The Blues could badly use the kind of talent Mailloux has shown he could eventually become. They have won just six times in 21 games this season, and need something to help spark a turnaround. If Mailloux can begin to play up to his potential, that could be a big boost to the overall form of the team’s defense.
St. Louis Blues Reassign Logan Mailloux, Recall Hunter Skinner
The St. Louis Blues announced this morning that defenseman Logan Mailloux has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. In a corresponding move, the team recalled defenseman Hunter Skinner.
The move comes amid what has been an extremely difficult start to the 2025-26 season at the NHL level for Mailloux. Blues GM Doug Armstrong spoke to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford about the move. Armstrong said Mailloux “needs a reset” but refused to place all the blame for Mailloux’s tough start on the player himself. He noted that St. Louis is, as a whole, “not functioning at a high level right now” and that Mailloux’s struggles have been a small part of that.
In explaining the motivations behind this move, Armstrong said the team wants Mailloux to be able to play without the level of “anxiety” and pressure that exists at the NHL level. The Blues believe, Armstrong said, that sending Mailloux back to the AHL will help him “get his game back” and “unlock his mind.”
St. Louis acquired Mailloux, who is a 2021 first-round pick, from the Montreal Canadiens over the summer in a one-for-one trade, sacrificing forward Zachary Bolduc after his promising rookie year in the NHL. Trading away a rookie forward right after a 19-goal, 36-point rookie season that saw him earn down-ballot Calder Trophy consideration certainly isn’t a decision a team takes lightly. But the Blues saw an opportunity to acquire a young right-handed defenseman with a rare combination of size and dynamic offensive ability.
Big right-shot defensemen who can skate and play a quality offensive game are one of the hardest-to-find commodities in the NHL, yet players of that archetype remain extremely in-demand among NHL teams.
That supply-and-demand consideration had to have played a role in making Mailloux a first-round pick despite the off-ice issues surrounding him, and without question motivated the Blues’ decision to trade Bolduc in order to acquire him.
So far, Mailloux hasn’t been able to reward the Blues’ faith in him with quality play at the NHL level.
Through two professional seasons in the Canadiens organization, Mailloux proved to be an exceptional offensive weapon on the back end, but also a defenseman who at times struggled mightily with decision-making and reading the play in his own end. Those issues have resurfaced in the NHL this season.
He was never able to reach a level of reliability in the defensive zone to earn a consistent NHL role in Montreal, playing with the Canadiens only on a sporadic basis. But he did manage to make his presence felt at the AHL level, playing in two AHL All-Star games and landing on the 2023-24 All-Rookie team.
It’s that previous success he has at the AHL level that has likely led to the Blues’ belief that a stint in the AHL could go a long way in helping Mailloux “reset” his game.
Through nine NHL contests this season, Mailloux has failed to register a point and has logged a -12 plus/minus rating despite averaging the second-fewest minutes per game of any Blues defenseman.
The Blues’ season as a whole has not gone to plan, and surrendering a game-tying goal with a second left and then losing in overtime last night cannot have helped matters. This transaction is unlikely to be the only move the Blues make in order to try to spark a turnaround in results.
From Mailloux’s perspective, it would be understandable to be discouraged by a return to the AHL after making the NHL roster out of training camp. But getting the chance to rediscover his game and build some confidence in a league he’s largely starred in could genuinely make a difference in helping him stay in the NHL on a more permanent basis the next time he’s called up.
This move is a disappointing development for one young defenseman but a significant opportunity for another. Skinner, 24, has yet to make his NHL debut and this recall positions him to do exactly that, with his first opportunity coming Nov. 11 against the Calgary Flames.
The 6’3″ right-shot defenseman was originally acquired in 2023 as part of the trade that sent Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, and he has worked his way up to the NHL all the way from the ECHL. While he’s not considered a top prospect by any stretch, Skinner offers the Blues a physical edge they could find useful.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
West Notes: Chytil, Cooley, Mailloux
The Vancouver Canucks are off to a somewhat slow start to 2025-26, going 1-2-0 in three games. After scoring five goals in their season-opening victory, the team scored just three across its next two games, and while sample sizes are still quite small, there are some notable trends emerging in terms of how first-year head coach Adam Foote is deploying his forwards. The Athletic’s Harman Dayal wrote today that through the first three games of the season, Foote “has been deploying” Filip Chytil “more like a No. 1 centre than” Elias Pettersson, the team’s star pivot. Dayal noted that Chytil currently ranks 14th in the NHL in five-on-five ice time per game, while Pettersson ranks 264th, and that Chytil is averaging nearly a full minute more of ice time per game than Pettersson at all situations.
Chytil has registered two goals this season playing alongside Evander Kane and Conor Garland, while Pettersson has posted one assist playing between Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk. What’s notable about this early-season deployment is that it’s somewhat surprising to see the pair of 2017 first-rounders deployed this way. Pettersson, who scored 102 points in 2022-23, has long been seen as the team’s star center, and is making $11.6MM against the cap through 2031-32, while Chytil has a career high of 45 points (also from 2022-23) and makes $4.437MM against the cap. Pettersson’s sub-par performance last season (just 45 points in 64 games) was one of the defining storylines of the team’s disappointing 2024-25 campaign, and through three games this season, signs are beginning to emerge that the talented but enigmatic 26-year-old may not have put those on-ice struggles entirely behind him.
More notes from the Western Conference:
- We previously covered how Wednesday’s start was a crucial game in the pro career of netminder Devin Cooley, and now that the contest has come and gone, it’s clear Cooley made the most of his opportunity. It was reported that the Flames were monitoring potential outside acquisitions to replace Cooley as the team’s backup netminder, but not before giving the 28-year-old veteran his chance to earn the role. Although the Flames fell 3-1 to the Utah Mammoth in Cooley’s first start of the season, Cooley put forth an impressive performance, saving 29 of 31 shots. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis wrote that yesterday’s game “could easily have gotten out of hand” without Cooley’s heroics, and head coach Ryan Huska told the media that he felt Cooley’s first start “was excellent.” While one brilliant start doesn’t necessarily mean the Flames are now sold with Cooley as their go-to option behind starter Dustin Wolf, it certainly doesn’t hurt Cooley’s chances.
- The offseason swap of 2021 first rounders, St. Louis Blues forward Zachary Bolduc for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux, was one of this past offseason’s most intriguing trades. Trades of players who are each valuable, promising young talents in their own right are relatively rare. As a result, tracking how each player performs in their new environment is one of the more intriguing storylines to follow in 2025-26. Thus far, things are working out for Bolduc in Montreal but it’s a different story for Mailloux in St. Louis. The talented defenseman struggled quite a bit in the team’s Wednesday loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, has not registered a point through four games, and has a minus-seven rating. Of course, it’s still far too early in the process to even begin contemplating final judgments on the trade, and it’s important to note that young defensemen in many cases take longer to develop in the NHL than forwards. The Hockey News’ Lou Korac wrote that “the Blues believe in Mailloux” and “understand this is going to take time,” and teammate Colton Parayko said after the loss that Mailloux is “a great player” and has his “full faith.”
Canadiens Acquire Zachary Bolduc
The Canadiens and Blues have swapped young players. Montreal has acquired winger Zachary Bolduc from St. Louis in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux. Both teams have announced the deal.
Bolduc was a first-round pick of the Blues back in 2021, going 17th overall. Mailloux, meanwhile, was also a first-round selection in that same draft class, going 14 picks later.
Bolduc is the more experienced player of the two at the NHL level. After getting into 25 games in 2023-24, the 22-year-old was a regular in the lineup for St. Louis last season, chipping in with some solid secondary scoring. He notched 19 goals and 17 assists in 72 games along with 108 hits in a little under 13 minutes a night of ice time during the regular season while adding an assist in seven playoff outings in their first-round loss to Winnipeg.
As for Mailloux, he has been productive in the NHL in very limited action. He got into seven games with the Canadiens last season, notching two goals and two assists. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old played in 63 games with AHL Laval, tallying 12 goals and 21 assists after putting up 47 points in 72 games in his rookie professional campaign. Mailloux also had six points in 13 playoff outings with the Rocket in their run to the final four.
Both players have one year left on their respective entry-level contracts. Mailloux has an AAV of $894K with no performance bonuses in his deal while Bolduc checks in with an AAV of $1.276MM, including $425K in bonuses for the upcoming season. They’ll be restricted free agents next summer.
This is a move where both teams are using their surplus depth to fill a hole. With the Canadiens acquiring Noah Dobson last week, Mailloux’s future with the organization came more into question with Montreal also having top prospect David Reinbacher in the mix on the right side of the back end. Meanwhile, St. Louis has a pair of right-shot veterans on the back end but Justin Faulk only has two years left on his deal, creating an opening for Mailloux to try to play his way into over the next couple of years while also potentially providing them with some extra firepower from the back end. On the other side, St. Louis uses their forward depth to fill their hole on the back end while Montreal picks up a player who can add some grit and skill to their bottom six, replacing Emil Heineman who went to the Islanders in the Dobson trade.
Canadiens Assign Owen Beck And Logan Mailloux To AHL
Sunday: The team announced (Twitter link) that both Beck and Mailloux have been sent back to the AHL to allow them to play in the All-Star Game; neither played today against Anaheim.
Saturday: The Canadiens have added a bit of extra roster depth as they get set to start a three-game California road trip. The team announced that they have recalled center Owen Beck and Logan Mailloux from AHL Laval. It’s the second recall of the season for both players.
Beck is in his first professional season and has spent the bulk of it with the Rocket. The 20-year-old played in two games with Montreal late last month and was held off the scoresheet. Beck has had a productive rookie campaign in the minors, however, tallying 11 goals and 16 assists in 41 games, good for a tie for tenth in scoring among all AHL freshmen.
As for Mailloux, he got into five games with the Canadiens back in October. He was productive in those outings, picking up a goal and two assists while logging 16:30 of ice time but struggled in the defensive zone. He’s in his second pro campaign and has nine goals and 13 assists in 36 AHL appearances so far this season, putting him close to his offensive pace from his rookie year.
It wouldn’t be too surprising to see both players shuffled back and forth a bit over the coming days. Beck and Mailloux are set to participate in the AHL All-Star Classic on Sunday and Monday with that event being held in California where Montreal will be for a few days. Accordingly, they’ll likely be loaned back down following Sunday’s game and then recalled back to the big club on Tuesday when the Canadiens are in San Jose.
Canadiens Reassign Logan Mailloux
The Canadiens returned defenseman Logan Mailloux to AHL Laval today, per a team announcement. They now have two open spots on their active roster, one of which will be used to activate Kaiden Guhle from injured reserve in the coming days. The team said he’s traveling on their road trip after missing their last five games with an upper-body injury.
Justin Barron is also nearing a return from the upper-body injury that’s kept him out for the past three games and will be on the trip, per the club. With those two defenders returning to health, Mailloux’s playing time was going to be limited. He’ll instead head back to the AHL to log top-four minutes.
Mailloux, 21, has looked decent in limited NHL action so far. The 2021 first-round pick was recalled nearly two weeks ago in the wake of Guhle’s injury. He’s played in five straight, notching a goal and two assists with a -4 rating. He’s gotten his 6’3″, 213-lb frame involved physically, posting seven blocks and six hits while averaging 16:30 per game. But he still has some work to do away from the puck. His possession metrics aren’t promising given his sheltered offensive usage. The Habs controlled only 44.3% of shot attempts and 39.2% of expected goals with Mailloux on the ice at even strength despite 63.2% of his zone starts coming in the offensive end.
Before his call-up earlier this month, Mailloux scored twice and added a pair of assists in his first two appearances of the season for Laval. He finished third on the minor-league club in scoring last season with 47 points (14 G, 33 A) in 72 games and was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team. He’s still on his entry-level contract and under contract through the 2025-26 season at an $875K cap hit.
Canadiens Recall Logan Mailloux
The Canadiens have recalled defenseman Logan Mailloux from AHL Laval, according to a team announcement. There’s an open spot on their 23-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary. The call-up does come after No. 1 defender Mike Matheson left last night’s loss to the Kings with an upper-body injury, however. Kaiden Guhle is also day-to-day with an upper-body injury, the team said later Friday.
Mailloux, 21, made his NHL debut in the final game of last season, posting an assist and a +1 rating with two shots on goal in over 21 minutes of action against the Red Wings. It came at the end of the right-shot defender’s first season in the pros, playing all 72 games for Laval. His 14 goals and 33 assists for 47 points led Rocket defensemen in scoring and earned him a place on the league’s All-Rookie Team.
The 6’3″ Ontario native spent his junior career with the OHL’s London Knights. While spending his draft year on loan to Sweden’s SK Lejon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was charged with defamation and criminal photography for “sending explicit pictures of a sexual act without the consent of his partner” (as written by CTV’s Daniel J. Rowe).
He was fined by the Swedish government and subsequently asked not to be selected in the 2021 draft but was selected by Montreal anyway with the 31st overall pick. He spent most of his post-draft year with OHL London out of the lineup, serving a suspension related to the charges, but had 53 points in 59 games the following season and led the league in goals from a defenseman with 25.
In regard to Matheson, the 30-year-old will be further evaluated today, the team said (via TSN). He had three assists and a -2 rating through Montreal’s first five games of the season. He’s coming off a 51-assist, 62-point campaign in 2023-24 that nearly doubled his previous career highs, cementing himself as a top-pairing threat offensively in the prime of his career with the Habs. He logged 25:33 per game last year, good enough for third in the league.
Mailloux will enter the lineup tomorrow against the Islanders if neither Matheson or Guhle can play.
Canadiens Assign Joshua Roy, Three Others To AHL
After a strong first campaign in the pros, Canadiens forward Joshua Roy didn’t make the cut for this season’s opening night roster. He, along with defensemen Adam Engström, Logan Mailloux, and goaltender Jakub Dobeš, were cut from the camp roster to AHL Laval on Monday, the team announced.
The moves sent the Habs’ opening night roster in stone, meaning 2021 second-rounder Oliver Kapanen cracked the team out of camp and could make his NHL debut soon. Other notable confirmed bits of news include Lane Hutson, Jayden Struble, and Arber Xhekaj winning the battle between many young Montreal defenders for roster spots, as well as 2020 second-rounder Emil Heineman making the team with just four career NHL appearances under his belt.
[RELATED: 2024-25 Opening Night Roster Tracker]
Roy, 21, was drafted alongside Kapanen in 2021, but he needed to wait until the fifth round to hear his name called. The Quebec native has been on the warpath since, breaking out for nearly 120 points the following season in the QMJHL and putting together 19 points in 14 games for Team Canada at the 2022 and 2023 World Juniors. Turning pro in 2023-24, Roy was among Laval’s better producers with 32 points in 41 games, earning him a lengthy look at the NHL level. He averaged 12:08 through 23 appearances for the Habs, lighting the lamp four times and adding five assists for nine points.
His possession numbers were perfectly average, and his offensive production seemed somewhat sustainable, with a reasonable 11.8% shooting rate and 34 shots making it on goal out of 77 attempts. Nonetheless, the Canadiens believe he needs more seasoning before he’s ready for full-time duties. It’s worth noting Roy did log a team-worst -17 rating on Laval last year, even if his NHL possession metrics (-2 rating, 47.2 xGF%, 49.5 CF%) painted a brighter picture.
Mailloux, meanwhile, misses out on a spot after making his NHL debut in the last game of the 2023-24 regular season. The 21-year-old had an assist and a +1 rating while logging 21:14 in a shootout loss to the Red Wings. The 2021 first-round pick was named to the AHL’s All-Rookie Team last season after leading Laval defenders in scoring with 47 points (14 G, 33 A) in 72 games with a -8 rating.
Engström, a third-round choice in 2022, is a sleeper candidate for an NHL recall at some point during the season but was never expected to crack the opening night roster. The 20-year-old defender signed his entry-level contract this offseason after two years playing professionally for the Swedish Hockey League’s Rögle BK, logging 22 points and a -10 rating in 51 games last season. That’s strong production in that league from such a young defender, but he’ll need some runway in Laval to acclimate to North American ice.
Dobes, 23, will likely be the Habs’ first call-up from Laval in the event of an injury to their NHL tandem of Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau. The 2020 fifth-rounder doesn’t have any NHL action under his belt but is entering his second professional season after an excellent rookie showing in the AHL last year. His 51 appearances tied him for the league lead with Utah’s Matt Villalta, recording a 2.93 GAA, .906 SV%, and 24-18-6 record.
Canadiens Notes: Reassignments, Offseason Plans, Slafkovsky, Caufield, Gorton
The Canadiens trimmed their roster significantly today, assigning four players to AHL Laval. Defensemen Justin Barron, Logan Mailloux and Jayden Struble, as well as forward Joshua Roy, are headed down to the minors to finish the 2023-24 season. Laval, with two games remaining, is attempting to clinch a playoff berth in the North Division.
Roy’s reassignment confirms he’s been cleared to return from an upper-body injury that kept him out of the lineup since mid-March. The 2021 fifth-round pick has quickly risen up the professional ranks, posting four goals and nine points in 23 games during his first couple of NHL stints this year. The 20-year-old was among Laval’s most effective per-game producers before being called up to the Habs, impressing in his rookie season with 13 goals and 32 points in 40 games.
Mailloux, selected in the late first round in 2021, made his NHL debut last night against the Red Wings, posting an assist and a +1 rating in 21:14 of ice time. He leads Laval defenders and is third on the team in scoring with 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) in 70 games, his first in the professional ranks.
Barron and Struble both spent significant time on the NHL roster this season but weren’t exactly full-timers, seeing extended stints in the minors as well. The 22-year-old Barron’s season was a more even split, skating in a career-high 48 NHL games but failing to eclipse last year’s career-high of 15 points. He knocked on the door of playing top-four minutes, averaging 18:38 per game, and posted strong relative possession numbers. While he hasn’t impressed much in Laval with 11 points and a -5 rating in 30 games, his major-league showing was strong enough to keep him in consideration for an opening-night job on next season’s roster.
Like Mailloux and Roy, Struble is in his first full professional season. The 22-year-old has been on the NHL roster exclusively since November, aside from a brief reassignment to Laval on March 8 to make him eligible for minor-league playoff action. He became a bottom-pairing mainstay on the Habs’ blue line, notching 10 points in 56 games with a -3 rating while averaging 16:07 per game. He was similarly strong in limited action with Laval early this season, posting six points and a +4 rating with 29 PIMs in 12 games before heading up to Montreal.
Other updates coming from the Habs’ front office in today’s end-of-season availability:
- GM Kent Hughes made apparent to reporters today that adding on offense will be his off-season priority. The Fourth Period reports he may leverage the organization’s surplus of young defensemen to get it done rather than gunning for a top-six scoring forward on the free agent market. Eight defensemen on the NHL roster for last night’s game are already under contract for next season, not including Barron and Arber Xhekaj, who are pending RFAs. Hughes also confirmed that he doesn’t intend on taking advantage of the two buyout windows this summer to open up some cap space or part ways with a veteran (via Sportsnet’s Eric Engels). The club will have no buyouts on the books next season, with Karl Alzner‘s expiring this summer. A likely candidate would have been center Christian Dvorak, who was limited to nine points in 30 games this season with a pectoral injury and has one season left at a $4.45MM cap hit with an eight-team no-trade list.
- Sophomore winger Juraj Slafkovsky scored his 20th goal of the season last night, awarding him a $250K performance bonus. That will be applied to next season’s books as a dead cap charge, PuckPedia reports, as Montreal had already exhausted the performance bonus pool awarded to them by Carey Price‘s LTIR placement. Slafkovsky also informed reporters today he intends to represent Slovakia at the 2024 World Championship next month.
- Joining Slafkovsky at the Worlds will be star goal-scorer Cole Caufield, who’s accepted an invitation from Team USA GM Bill Guerin to play at the tournament. Caufield largely fell short of expectations this season, limited to 28 goals in 82 games after sniping 26 in only 46 contests last year. The 2019 first-round pick still finished second on the team in scoring behind Nick Suzuki, however, and has a long runway to rebound with seven years remaining on his contract with a $7.85MM cap hit.
- Habs executive VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton was expected to draw some interest for any current or future GM vacancies that may arise this offseason, but he told reporters today, including TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, that he plans on sticking in Montreal. He was hired in November 2021 after the team relieved former GM Marc Bergevin of his duties, serving as interim GM for a few months before appointing Hughes in the role. Before joining the Habs, Gorton was the GM of the Rangers for six seasons and oversaw most of their late-2010s retool.