Imminent trade of a defenseman: Jeff Gorton makes a major decision and it's big for Justin Barron
As the Canadiens seem well-positioned to start a season of progression, there appears to be a surplus of defensemen, and Jeff Gorton has addressed the situation.
Indeed, the departures of Johnathan Kovacevic and Jordan Harris may not be enough for some analysts, and the current number of defensemen might prevent young players like Logan Mailloux or Lane Hutson from advancing.
For many, this is a problem that needs to be addressed. For Jeff Gorton, it's a blessing.
Look, you can't have too many defensemen. I don't think it's a problem for us here. Most are young, and if they need to start in the minors, they will start in the minors. It's not a problem."
- Jeff Gorton
Certainly, we don't want to see Lane Hutson in Laval, but if the organization believes it's good for his development, then that's probably the case.
I'm focusing mainly on the cases of Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher because they are the two defensemen who will start, as Jeff Gorton mentioned.
Following his logic, Reinbacher and/or Hutson may start in Laval in the AHL, while Logan Mailloux could start in Montreal and be part of a rotation with Justin Barron, Jayden Struble, and Lane Hutson as defensemen #5-6-7-8, if #48 makes the team.
All of this is just speculation. There's no guarantee that Logan Mailloux will start in Montreal, nor even Jayden Struble. That's what will be exciting about training camp and the internal competition.
| POLL | ||
Which defenseman do you think will become surplus with the young players coming up? | ||
| Justin Barron | 204 | 62.2 % |
| Jayden Struble | 93 | 28.4 % |
| Other | 31 | 9.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
