Line Combos: Which defenseman do you see in the Mtl Canadiens lineup in 2026-2027?

[HabzSauce]

So according to the polls right now, the top 6/7 in a few years should/will probably look like this to start the season:

Hutson (22) - Reinbacher (22)
Guhle (24) - Mailloux (23)
Struble (25) - Xhekaj (25)
Barron (24)


Would you be happy with this defence core?

If they all play to their potential hell ya. Barron can bounce but I really want to see Engstrom in there too somehow

 

[Redux91]

Harris erasure around here is insane.. feel like if you aren't a physical player or you don't put up big points then people think there's no point to the player.

I don't hate him

But there's just no room..

I see him as a good trade asset tho, not someone you just trade away for a 5th or something

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't hate him

But there's just no room..

I see him as a good trade asset tho, not someone you just trade away for a 5th or something

That's what I mean though. It's not that i think he stays long term, but people act like he is a valueless defenseman that can be thrown away at any time.

He's a very good, low maintenance, efficient player who is great as a leader and a person.

I don't think there's a team in the league that wouldn't welcome Jordan Harris and we are in no rush to remove him from our team.

 

[Riggins]

So according to the polls right now, the top 6/7 in a few years should/will probably look like this to start the season:

Hutson (22) - Reinbacher (22)
Guhle (24) - Mailloux (23)
Struble (25) - Xhekaj (25)
Barron (24)


Would you be happy with this defence core?

I find it hard to imagine a defence with all of Hutson, Mailloux and Barron on it. Unless we're going to roll with a run and gun, win 5-4 kind of game plan... those are a lot of defensive deficiencies to cover up. Even Xhekaj has a long way to go in that regard. We don't have the horses on offense to play run and gun.

We may see a future Mailloux vs. Barron battle for who is going to lock down a RD puckmover spot who has lapses in the D zone. Not sure if we can roll with both.

The Greek god Struble has me pretty convinced. I didn't realize he skated this well. There wasn't a whole lot of concern about whether we'd be able to sign him coming out of the NCAA, turns out that was really important.

I think you try to move Savard with retention at this year's deadline to maximize value. I wouldn't move Matheson until the 2025 deadline at the earliest, we're trying to develop our forwards and losing him soon would hurt them.

 

[No More Subban]

i always thought it's impossible to have 6 dmen all drafted by the same team to make the lineup but here we are.

guhle-reinbacher
hutson-mailloux
struble-xhekaj

im really all in on these guys. would be nice if harris/barron can accept 7th/8th but i doubt it

 

[Habssince89]

I don't hate him

But there's just no room..

I see him as a good trade asset tho, not someone you just trade away for a 5th or something

Exactly. He's just the odd man out because he's a bit vanilla. In another reality, he'd be welcome here as a future bottom pairing guy. He will have more value to another team, and I think we could grab a top9 forward for him and a pick.

 

[frenchcanayan]

With Ben Maxwell as 2C and Kyle Chipchura at 3C

Strong drafting or nothing right ?

Everybody makes it !

 

[1909]

Reinbacher, Guhle, Hutson, Mailloux, Struble, Xhakej and Konyushkov
It's also a pretty good group for offense, defense and roughness. They ain't small either.

Matheson, Harris, Engstrom and Barron are all good trade bait. I might be wrong about Barron but I really hate his defensive game.

Hutson 6.6 - Reinbacher 6.2
Guhle 6.3 - Mailloux 6.3
Xhakej 6.4 - Konyushkov 5.11
Struble 6.0

LOL !

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I don’t get the Harris hate tbh. I don’t think we have or will have 6 better dman than him. He’s very good, those calling him a 5th/6th/7th dman are selling him short and overrating some guys who haven’t played pro hockey yet.

I’ll be surprised if Harris is not still a Hab in the next 3-4 years.

 

[Nevins]

I don’t get the Harris hate tbh. I don’t think we have or will have 6 better dman than him. He’s very good, those calling him a 5th/6th/7th dman are selling him short and overrating some guys who haven’t played pro hockey yet.

I’ll be surprised if Harris is not still a Hab in the next 3-4 years.

I don't think he is hated but he is good almost everywhere but excels nowhere, and neither big nor physical. Guhle has the number one spot, then Struble and Xhekaj = Harris but with a physical aspect and a good shot. With Hutson coming, I don't see the place that Harris could have...unless he develops by playing on the right side.And I don’t even talk about Enstrom Who will play in the NHL.
But Harris has #4 potential and could have good market value to get a top 9 forward.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I don't think he is hated but he is good almost everywhere but excels nowhere, and neither big nor physical. Guhle has the number one spot, then Struble and Xhekaj = Harris but with a physical aspect and a good shot. With Hutson coming, I don't see the place that Harris could have...unless he develops by playing on the right side.And I don’t even talk about Enstrom Who will play in the NHL.
But Harris has #4 potential and could have good market value to get a top 9 forward.

Neither Xhekaj or Struble bring a skillset close to Harris. Neither have his poise, IQ, skating and puck handling. They are physical, that’s all they bring above Harris.

I like what Struble is doing, we need that physical presence, but he’s not a better dman than Harris and has never been a better dman than Harris.

 

[BLNY]

At the start of the year:



Guhle-Savard

Matheson-Mailloux

Xhekaj-Barron

Struble



With a year left, I don’t see Savard being traded. As a result, I think he should be in the list. Hutson could sign and spend end of season with Montreal, but I’m expecting that he and Reinbacher play part of next season in Laval.

 

[sandviper]

I’ll play but remember some of us had people like Brook being our PP QB with Juulsen being a vicious shut down skater…

I expect a lineup of Guhle, Reinbacher, Hutson, Mailloux, Struble with Engstrom and Konyushkov on the cusp of making the team. I see Most of the others being moved with maybe Xhekaj being a 7D.

 

[Deebs]

Good write up from Engels on this topic and I do think he's correct about us trading Savard at the deadline. So many contenders could use him.

Canadiens Mailbag: Who stays, who goes on crowded blue line?

The Montreal Canadiens have a logjam on defence, but which players will they move before the trade deadline? Eric Engels addresses this and more in his latest mailbag.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[WeThreeKings]

Good write up from Engels on this topic and I do think he's correct about us trading Savard at the deadline. So many contenders could use him.

Canadiens Mailbag: Who stays, who goes on crowded blue line?

The Montreal Canadiens have a logjam on defence, but which players will they move before the trade deadline? Eric Engels addresses this and more in his latest mailbag.

www.sportsnet.ca

Lindstrom might be moved too

 

[Deebs]

Lindstrom might be moved too

He should be

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Guhle & Reinbacher : I expect them to be on the team for a long time
Hutson: Perhaps he will be traded down the road if Hugues determines he isn't much of a winner all things considered. But he should still be around in 26-27.
Jack eye : special skillset. If he's good enough to play in the NHL, he'll have his place. Whether guys like Struble outplay him does not matter.

Other guys like Barron, Struble, Mailloux being on the team is a possibility but it's hard to predict who will stay and who will not. The Habs won't necessarily keep the better players of the lot.

 

[salbutera]

That's what I mean though. It's not that i think he stays long term, but people act like he is a valueless defenseman that can be thrown away at any time.

He's a very good, low maintenance, efficient player who is great as a leader and a person.

I don't think there's a team in the league that wouldn't welcome Jordan Harris and we are in no rush to remove him from our team.

I’ve said it for years, he’s a better skating Josh Gorges - nothing wrong w that except his max value is when he’s cost controlled prior to UFA eligibility…. as in right now.

The only way his value increases is if there’s an expectation he can output top-4D role…which o don’t believe he can

 

[26Mats]

That's what I mean though. It's not that i think he stays long term, but people act like he is a valueless defenseman that can be thrown away at any time.

He's a very good, low maintenance, efficient player who is great as a leader and a person.

I don't think there's a team in the league that wouldn't welcome Jordan Harris and we are in no rush to remove him from our team.

I agree that every team in the league would welcome him. But I still don't think we get a high return for him in a trade.

I think Hughes will be patient and only move him for a good offer. If it doesn't come, we'll either lose him for nothing or rush a trad like the Edmundson trade because we don't have space for him any more.

 

[MXD]

I don’t get the Harris hate tbh. I don’t think we have or will have 6 better dman than him. He’s very good, those calling him a 5th/6th/7th dman are selling him short and overrating some guys who haven’t played pro hockey yet.

He has A LOT of problems with physicality with an otherwise easily replaceable skillset until shown otherwise.

I’ve said it for years, he’s a better skating Josh Gorges - nothing wrong w that except his max value is when he’s cost controlled prior to UFA eligibility…. as in right now.

The only way his value increases is if there’s an expectation he can output top-4D role…which o don’t believe he can

Hehhh... Gorges could handle physicality quite well, in that he'd absolutely get rocked, but could be counted upon to win his share of physical battles and not be pushed off the action. He also couldn't move the puck as well, and had the creativity of a garden shovel.

 

[Canadiens98]

I think many are placing their votes based on when we're in the offensive zone

 

[JianYang]

Starting 84-85 season Habs has Chelios, Tom Kurvers, Svoboda, 3rd season Ludwig

Mike Lalor the following season

- Kurvers suffered an eye injury first half of 84-85 season despite Kurvers-Chelios looking like a stud future pairing … and never was the same again

Within 2-seasons only Chelios remained and Svoboda was on his last legs as a Hab

Things change quickly…

100%.

The good thing about having this pipeline depth is that provides some extra assurance that few of them will pan out, but I'm also sure that a few of them will flop or never even make it, because there are so many elements that come into play for a prospect to make it, and some of them aren't even in the player's control such as your kurvers example.

I feel as fans, we tend to take an overly optimistic view of a talented pipeline thinking nothing wrong will happen along the way, but it's far from reality.

Yes. Things can change quickly. Where was the conversation about struble a year and a half ago? He was almost written off around here.

 

[Rapala]

Lindstrom might be moved too

Lidstrom is the first man out. Savard is a tough call based on our record when he does play. Everythng else is also going to be affected by HuGo's wheeling and dealing. If he can get another asset up front in a similar manner to the Dach or Newhook trade He'll have to dangle a Dman. Everything will depend on the ask. Somehow I doubt Harris' name would come up first but I can see it in a counter offer situation.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Neither Xhekaj or Struble bring a skillset close to Harris. Neither have his poise, IQ, skating and puck handling. They are physical, that’s all they bring above Harris.

I like what Struble is doing, we need that physical presence, but he’s not a better dman than Harris and has never been a better dman than Harris, Dmen like Harris are dime and a dozen in the NHL, he's easily expendable.

Dmen like Harris are dime a dozen in the NHL, he's easily expendable.