The Canadiens’ real camp doesn’t open until Wednesday, but in the meantime, there’s the rookie camp in Brossard, where a few youngsters are dreaming big.
All experts will tell you: dreaming is important. That’s how, for example, the St. Louis Blues were able to come from far behind to win a Stanley Cup not so long ago, and that’s how the Goo Goo Dolls were able to end up finding success against all odds in 1998, after starting from nothing and also starting from Buffalo.
The situation of Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher and Lane Hutson is not so different.
“My goal is to be part of this team,” Mailloux explained Thursday at the Brossard training center. “I think I learned a lot last season, throughout the season too. So I try to improve every day, to work on all the little details. I want to show the management what I’m capable of doing during this camp. I want to do enough to be able to stay.”
This is probably where the eternal concept of “scrambling the cards” can be evoked.
On the blue line, the Canadiens are already counting on a few veterans who will have their place in October, namely Mike Matheson and David Savard. Kaiden Guhle and Justin Barron should follow, among other things because Barron would probably be claimed on waivers if the club ever designated him for a return to the American League in Laval (a trade is always possible, obviously). Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble are the two other defensemen who are part of the picture.
With all this in mind, it is perhaps not far-fetched to believe that someone among the three youngsters mentioned above could cause a surprise, in the event of stunning performances over the coming weeks.
“There are several young people here who could be part of the team, we’ll see what the club decides on that subject,” added Mailloux. “But I think I’m ready for the NHL, in any case that’s my goal. I had my ups and downs last season [à Laval]the team too, but I had a good summer of training. It was maybe a bit of a long summer, but I think my game has improved. I think I’m a different player than I was a year ago.”
Logan Mailloux isn’t the only one to sound optimistic; Reinbacher, the club’s first pick in the 2023 draft, also says he’s ready to play among the NHL’s greats. The 19-year-old Austrian played 11 games last season with the Rocket in Laval, after starting the season in Switzerland.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
David Reinbacher, the club’s first pick in the 2023 draft
“Of course I can make the jump,” he replied confidently. “It’s my job to be ready, we know what has to be done. You have to be ready every day and prepare yourself to be able to move on to the next step.”
“Everyone here this week will fight for a place, everyone here wants to be part of the club. You have to have this mentality and you have to know how to leave a good impression. We can see that all the players present will surpass themselves, it will be a good competition… And in the end, it will be good for the team!”
Lane Hutson also has his eyes on the Bell Centre, having briefly had a taste of the euphoria of the NHL at the end of last season, during two games with the Canadiens.
Of course, the size and weight issues will likely follow him for a long time – on the team’s official rookie camp document, he’s listed as 5’10, 162 pounds – but he, too, is approaching the moment with optimism.
“It’s all positive here, everyone is hoping to play in the biggest league in the world,” he said. “It’s good, I think there will be some good competition. We’ll see what happens in the next few days, I guess.”
And then no, Lane Hutson is not going to start grumbling if ever the people in Montreal management choose to send him to Laval. “I’m going to go with what they tell me to do. No matter the destination…”