A seemingly minor December trade is suddenly shaking things up for one of the Montreal Canadiens’ top prospects.
When Habs GM Kent Hughes swapped Jacob Perreault for Noel Hoefenmayer in a deal with the Edmonton Oilers, hardly anyone noticed. Now it’s looking pretty important.
Hoefenmayer’s been stealing the show in Laval, especially on special teams. He’s even taken over Logan Mailloux’s spot on the Rocket’s power play unit, according to BPM Sports’ Anthony Marcotte.
It’s not just about the power play minutes. The shake-up is really hitting Mailloux where it hurts – on the scoresheet.
The young defenseman, who was Montreal’s first-round pick in 2021, is seeing his ice time shrink as Hoefenmayer keeps impressing the coaching staff.
What looked like a quiet depth move by Hughes is turning into something much bigger for the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate. It’s also raising some interesting questions about Mailloux’s development path.
The Rocket’s coaching staff clearly likes what they’re seeing from Hoefenmayer. Now they’ve got to figure out how to balance developing their prized prospect while riding the hot hand.
