The Canadiens' prospects, especially on defense, are very promising. While there's no superstar in the bunch, there's a lot of very promising talent. It's strength in numbers that makes the pool so deep. Among defensemen, many agree that Logan Mailloux is the closest to the NHL. That's also the opinion of Francis Bouillon, who says that Mailloux is an outstanding athlete who could play any sport. Corey Pronman of <i>The Athletic</i> recently released his rankings of the top U23 prospects by team. This includes active NHL players. For the Canadiens, here are the rankings: 1 - Cole Caufield 2 - Juraj Slafkovsky 3 - David Reinbacher 4 - Kirby Dach, 5 - Kaiden Guhle 6 - Alex Newhook 7 - Justin Barron 8 - Lane Hutson 9 - Owen Beck 10 - Joshua Roy 11 - Sean Farrell 12 - Arber Xhekaj 13 - Jan Mysak 14 - Riley Kidney 15 - Emil Heineman 16 - William Trudeau 17 - Filip Mesar 18 - Jacob Fowler If you notice, Logan Mailloux's name doesn't appear. It must be said that Pronman did this ranking before the defenseman was given the green light to play in the NHL. There's also Lane Hutson's rank, and here's what the journalist had to say about him. Hutson is a good skater, but not elite for his size. Size remains the main issue, as well as how he'll play defensively against NHL speed and size. Coaches could use him by being careful to see who he plays against in the NHL, but his offensive talent could lead him to a great NHL career. - Corey Pronman Decidedly, Hutson's size is still playing tricks on him, but to the point of ranking him behind Justin Barron? I beg to differ. Conversely, David Reinbacher has yet to skate in North America, except for the CH development camp following the draft. Yet he's ranked ahead of Kaiden Guhle and Kirby Dach.