Mailloux and his Defense

[Nublues69]

logan mailloux highest draft ranking

Prior to the 2021 NHL Draft, Logan Mailloux's highest reported draft ranking was #23 by NHL Central Scouting for North American Skaters. Some sources suggested that without the controversial circumstances surrounding his draft, he might have been considered a potential Top-10 pick.

[DawgDad]

I looked back at about a dozen 2021 draft rankings and re-rankings from 2022 and 2024. I only found one pre-draft ranking of Mailloux, at #75. The 2024 re-ranking I saw had him at #17.

What does this mean? Virtually all of the pre-draft rankings assumed he wouldn't be drafted at all (presumably avoided or per his request), his retrospective pedigree (small sample size) seems to be aound the middle of the first round. From everything I've read he sounds like a top-half of draft quality prospect which casts the trade as pretty even on paper.

[STL fan in MN]

Anyone see any articles or mocks about where Mailloux was projected in the draft before the "incident"?

I thought in the interview, I think Strickland thought he was top ten and asked about it but Mailloux did not recall that ranking.

He was a bit unclear on it.

Strickland was referencing Monty who said Mailloux would’ve been a top-10 pick in his Sports+ interview with KSDK. But Monty is simply wrong or being superfluous. Or someone else on the staff oversold the kid and Monty is just regurgitating what maybe Army or someone else in Hockey Ops said. It’s not true.

I can find absolutely nothing that touts Mailloux as a top of the draft prospect before the incident in 2021. The highest I found him ranked was in the 20s. Most lists that are still available though don’t list him at all. Probably because he asked to not be drafted and/or the writer just didn’t want to touch that topic with a 10 ft pole.

And TBH, his pre-draft stats don’t scream someone that should go high. After his D-2 season (age 15) he was drafted in the 2nd round (33rd overall) by the London Knights. In his D-1 year (age 16), he didn’t make the Knights (played 4 games for them) and played Jr B for the London Nationals instead (this is incredibly common with the Knights btw. They’re notorious for taking it slow with their younger players). In his draft season (age 17), the OHL season was canceled entirely because of covid. Not good for development at all. He eventually played in 19 games for Lejon in the Swedish HockeyEttan (their 3rd tier pro league) where he put up 15 pts. HockeyEttan isn’t exactly a high level but it was a pro league (technically) and that’s pretty good production for a 17 yr old. It was in Sweden where the bj pic indecent occurred.

The 2021 draft was perhaps the hardest one to scout in recent memory as many leagues just shut down or if kids played, it wasn’t much. My guess is this draft class will be harmed the most because of covid. Them either taking a bit longer to make the NHL than average or them just not making it as perhaps they would’ve had their development not been derailed at such an inopportune time. Mailloux’s development was then hampered even more as he only played 12 games for the Knights in his D+1 season, missing most of the season to suspension and an injury/surgery. He then did quite well in his D+2 season for the Knights before turning pro in his D+3 season.

[ClassicO]

The decision-making should improve with experience.
I've played defense for over 40 years. I make mistakes all the time. The trick is to have a solid defensive-minded player alongside the guy like Mailloux who contributes to the offense but doesn't do as well staying at home.
Broberg and Fowler are two-way players who do well moving up and shoot L, so it will be interesting to see with whom they pair with Parayko (good 2-way). I have to think Fowler as it won't be Tucker and likely not Broberg.

[Blueston]

Anyone see any articles or mocks about where Mailloux was projected in the draft before the "incident"?

I thought in the interview, I think Strickland thought he was top ten and asked about it but Mailloux did not recall that ranking.

He was a bit unclear on it.

Strickland was referencing Monty who said Mailloux would’ve been a top-10 pick in his Sports+ interview with KSDK. But Monty is simply wrong or being superfluous. Or someone else on the staff oversold the kid and Monty is just regurgitating what maybe Army or someone else in Hockey Ops said. It’s not true.

I can find absolutely nothing that touts Mailloux as a top of the draft prospect before the incident in 2021. The highest I found him ranked was in the 20s. Most lists that are still available though don’t list him at all. Probably because he asked to not be drafted and/or the writer just didn’t want to touch that topic with a 10 ft pole.

And TBH, his pre-draft stats don’t scream someone that should go high. After his D-2 season (age 15) he was drafted in the 2nd round (33rd overall) by the London Knights. In his D-1 year (age 16), he didn’t make the Knights (played 4 games for them) and played Jr B for the London Nationals instead (this is incredibly common with the Knights btw. They’re notorious for taking it slow with their younger players). In his draft season (age 17), the OHL season was canceled entirely because of covid. Not good for development at all. He eventually played in 19 games for Lejon in the Swedish HockeyEttan (their 3rd tier pro league) where he put up 15 pts. HockeyEttan isn’t exactly a high level but it was a pro league (technically) and that’s pretty good production for a 17 yr old. It was in Sweden where the bj pic indecent occurred.

The 2021 draft was perhaps the hardest one to scout in recent memory as many leagues just shut down or if kids played, it wasn’t much. My guess is this draft class will be harmed the most because of covid. Them either taking a bit longer to make the NHL than average or them just not making it as perhaps they would’ve had their development not been derailed at such an inopportune time. Mailloux’s development was then hampered even more as he only played 12 games for the Knights in his D+1 season, missing most of the season to suspension and an injury/surgery. He then did quite well in his D+2 season for the Knights before turning pro in his D+3 season.

Yeah, I think Monty was parroting Army who said it in one of his interviews, but it’s just not supported by the evidence. I went back and read the initial DFO article that first broke this story in 2021 and Seravelli said clubs they had surveyed had from about 15 to 70-something prior to learning about this. Mailloux had disclosed it to clubs and gave permission to DFO to name him.

Although to be fair, maybe we had him higher. That was strange draft either way, with COVID canceling or shortening many kids seasons and guys playing random places and scouts having travel challenges.

[dhsux]

Anyone see any articles or mocks about where Mailloux was projected in the draft before the "incident"?

I thought in the interview, I think Strickland thought he was top ten and asked about it but Mailloux did not recall that ranking.

He was a bit unclear on it.

Strickland was referencing Monty who said Mailloux would’ve been a top-10 pick in his Sports+ interview with KSDK. But Monty is simply wrong or being superfluous. Or someone else on the staff oversold the kid and Monty is just regurgitating what maybe Army or someone else in Hockey Ops said. It’s not true.

I can find absolutely nothing that touts Mailloux as a top of the draft prospect before the incident in 2021. The highest I found him ranked was in the 20s. Most lists that are still available though don’t list him at all. Probably because he asked to not be drafted and/or the writer just didn’t want to touch that topic with a 10 ft pole.

And TBH, his pre-draft stats don’t scream someone that should go high. After his D-2 season (age 15) he was drafted in the 2nd round (33rd overall) by the London Knights. In his D-1 year (age 16), he didn’t make the Knights (played 4 games for them) and played Jr B for the London Nationals instead (this is incredibly common with the Knights btw. They’re notorious for taking it slow with their younger players). In his draft season (age 17), the OHL season was canceled entirely because of covid. Not good for development at all. He eventually played in 19 games for Lejon in the Swedish HockeyEttan (their 3rd tier pro league) where he put up 15 pts. HockeyEttan isn’t exactly a high level but it was a pro league (technically) and that’s pretty good production for a 17 yr old. It was in Sweden where the bj pic indecent occurred.

The 2021 draft was perhaps the hardest one to scout in recent memory as many leagues just shut down or if kids played, it wasn’t much. My guess is this draft class will be harmed the most because of covid. Them either taking a bit longer to make the NHL than average or them just not making it as perhaps they would’ve had their development not been derailed at such an inopportune time. Mailloux’s development was then hampered even more as he only played 12 games for the Knights in his D+1 season, missing most of the season to suspension and an injury/surgery. He then did quite well in his D+2 season for the Knights before turning pro in his D+3 season.

Nice write up Minnesota.

Yet DA made this move. Was it all based on his last year of play, the one where he had the most exposure albeit minimal in the nhl?

Did he show enough to the Blues brass to facilitate moving a player like Bolduc?

I have to think they are pretty certain about their prospects in trading a key player like Bolduc, no matter the wing surplus, to land him.

How about you, what do you think their level of certainty on JM is to do this? 50, 60, 70%? Surely nothing less.

[a smell of green grass]

We all know where Monty picked up the lingo and importance of TOP10 draft picks.

He follows ASOGG on BluesTalk. Without a doubt, he didn't hear that from Army.