It's unfortunate, but the Logan Mailloux file continues to be the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. Just when we thought he'd finally gotten the go-ahead from Gary Bettman to play in the NHL, it seems the CH is still waiting for official confirmation. In the meantime, Mailloux continues to prepare for training camp, but even if he receives Bettman's absolution, don't make the mistake of thinking he'll play for the CH this year. He'll have to earn his spot. According to Francis Bouillon, the defenseman is quite an athlete and a surprise is always possible, but he'll have to prove himself. <q> It's up to him to prove whether he can play with the Habs in his first year. Every year, there are surprises. On the other hand, he's a player who hasn't played a lot in recent years. He needs to improve a few things.</q> Mailloux was suspended two years ago and missed a lot of games following an injury last year. <q>I saw him in junior last season. We had some good conversations. He's got great skills. But he didn't play much. So it's going to be a big season for him.</q> What could work in his favour is the Habs' weakness on the right side of defence. But we have to be realistic. It would be very surprising for Mailloux to break into the CH lineup with only 65 games played in the last two years. Bouillon's message is that, for his development, the best thing would be for him to play a full year in Laval. To read the column by the excellent Jonathan Bernier, <a href='https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/08/28/un-passage-a-laval-pour-logan-mailloux' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>click here.</a>