NHL Atlantic

The Carolina Hurricanes' signing of Montreal Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi to a one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet on Saturday was a gift to the hockey world. The late-summer weeks are typically slow for hockey content, with the 2021 Women's World Championship the only relevant activity scheduled during that time this year.

Any offer sheet is noteworthy because they are uncommon and usually features a player of consequence. The optics of revenge for Montreal's offer-sheeting of Sebastian Aho in 2019 add a whole new dimension to the storyline. During what is expected to be the quietest period on the hockey calendar, the Hurricanes blindsided everyone with absolute chaos.

The move is a major win for neutral observers who are served with unexpected entertainment, but it's one that has significant implications for two Eastern Conference teams that, in differing ways, will have spotlights on them for the 2021-22 season. The Canadiens are coming off a run to the Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes are expected to be a top contender next season.

The fate of a 21-year-old former top prospect, as well as a first- and third-round pick, hangs in the balance. The Hurricanes took a massive risk by initiating this process and left the Habs in a vulnerable position with only a few days to choose between a rock and a hard place. It's a decision that will have significant consequences for the two teams both immediately and in the long term.

The Hurricanes' Big Risk

At least in concept, the Hurricanes' offer sheet for Kotkaniemi is perfectly executed. They found a young player left unsigned on a team with little wiggle room under the salary cap. He's a player who, while a good one, is not so integral to the Canadiens that general manager Marc Bergevin will be willing to move mountains to keep. They made an offer that the Habs might have a tough time justifying in spirit and an even more difficult time making work logistically.

In contrast to the Canadiens' offer sheet for Aho, which the Hurricanes matched without hesitation, in this example the Hurricanes are exploiting a situation where the other team may be out-leveraged.

But this particular deal for Kotkaniemi is a massive risk. He has had a roller-coaster career since the Canadiens drafted him third overall in 2018. He was good enough to make the NHL team as an 18-year-old in 2018-19 and played fairly well, then he suffered a sophomore slump severe enough for Montreal to demote him to the AHL.

Last season was a mixed bag encapsulated by his performances during the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final, where he was sometimes among the team's top contributors and at other moments played his way into the press box.

When Kotkaniemi is at his best, he's a cerebral two-way center with the hands to make plays in the offensive zone. Despite some hiccups in 2019-20, the defensive component of his game has, at least comparatively, been there. It's offensively where he's struggled the most, registering just 22 goals and 40 assists in 171 career regular-season NHL games. 

It's not the draft-pick compensation potentially headed to Montreal that causes concern, although that has to be accounted for. Kotkaniemi, despite his struggles, is a former top prospect who has had his moments in the NHL. He holds way more upside than that of what will likely be late picks in the first and third rounds in 2022.

The contract, and others necessary in coming years, is where this has the potential to blow up in Carolina's collective face. Even if Kotkaniemi presents the best version of himself, he won't be worth that $6.1 million next season. The Hurricanes themselves have to know this. It's suboptimal for 2021-22, but they have the cap space to deal with it.

It could pose much more of a problem long term. The following season, the Hurricanes will have to present him with a $6.1 million qualifying offer or he will become an unrestricted free agent. In theory, this would continue every offseason until 2026. 

Former NHLer Georges Laraque reported on 91.9 Sports that Kotkaniemi and Carolina have a handshake agreement on a contract in the ballpark of $4 million annually for the following season.

If true, that makes the situation more manageable, but it still sets the standard for Kotkaniemi as a top-six center at a time when he is still searching for enough consistency to remain in the lineup every night.

The 21-year-old has the talent to make this work, and the Hurricanes' style as a cycle-heavy team may suit him better. It's possible that he ends up justifying the contracts, but anything less than peak development will make him an expensive third-line center. 

The Hurricanes are effectively overpaying Kotkaniemi in the short term as a means to an end for acquiring a 21-year-old center with the talent to become a really good NHLer over the subsequent decade. There's logic in that, but this is a team that needs to get over the hump and realize its potential as an immediate contender. There is a path for Kotkaniemi to play a role in that pursuit, but with little margin for error, there are many ways in which this could backfire.

The Canadiens Are in a No-Win Situation

Kotkaniemi's signing of Carolina's offer sheet is literal insult to injury for Montreal. As the Hurricanes openly mock the Habs with no-so-subtle references to the prior Aho offer sheet, the Canadiens now face a major dilemma in an offseason in which an already rickety Carey Price underwent knee surgery, Shea Weber headed for pseudo-retirement and center Phillip Danault left for Los Angeles. 

Danault's departure is particularly relevant in assessing the predicament in which Bergevin finds himself. He was integral to shutting down the opposition's top players during the Canadiens' unexpected Stanley Cup run.

As it were, the Habs were already vulnerable down the middle after the initial frenzy of free agency. That the Habs were going to rely on Kotkaniemi to jump into a second-line role behind fellow youngster Nick Suzuki was itself an uneasy scenario.

Without Kotkaniemi, the Habs are in crisis at the center position. Suzuki is very good, but the cupboard behind him would be empty. Jake Evans and Cedric Paquette are nowhere near good enough for second- and third-line roles, respectively. Prospect Ryan Poehling has upside but isn't ready to even attempt such a prominent role. 

Yet the financial implications of matching the offer sheet are abysmal. Where the Hurricanes are overpaying for a luxury they can afford, the Habs don't really have the space to make this work. Paul Byron's hip surgery will push him to long-term injured reserve, opening up just enough cap space to squeeze Kotkaniemi in at $6.1 million with a smaller roster, but upon the latter's expected return a few months into the season, the team would need to move a notable salary in order to stay cap compliant. 

Even worse are the consequences in future seasons. Kotkaniemi may have a verbal agreement with Carolina on a lower future contract as a condition of their submitting the offer sheet, but the center would have zero obligation nor the incentive to give the same compromise to the Canadiens should they match.

They will be forced to offer Kotkaniemi that one-year, $6.1 million qualifying offer through 2026 unless a different agreement can be found while holding little leverage. 

The Canadiens seem to be planning for damage limitation by seeking out a separate trade in which they'd acquire a center, perhaps using the draft picks Carolina would be handing over. Jack Eichel would obviously be a dream scenario, though that situation is as complex as ever.

The more realistic name in the rumor mill is Arizona's Christian Dvorak. The Canadiens could do worse than acquiring the 25-year-old as a replacement.

Dvorak has been a strong driver of offensive possessions the last couple of seasons, but his offensive output has been underwhelming, albeit on brutal Coyotes teams, his defensive impacts have been OK and he's already suffered some notable injuries in his young career. 

Other potential options could include Sean Monahan (Calgary), Ryan Strome (New York Rangers) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington). But early September is not the time to be in the market for a splash, with most teams having already conducted their big business early in the summer. And with every team aware of Montreal's sudden, desperate need, the market won't be a favorable one.

It's possible that Montreal does indeed find a suitable replacement, but this is still far from an ideal scenario. The Habs invested a third overall pick in Kotkaniemi just three years ago and despite some turbulence, his upside remains high. They became too cavalier in their negotiations with Kotkaniemi and, thanks to Carolina, now find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

Former NHL player Jimmy Hayes has died at the age of 31, his alma mater Boston College announced Monday.

The Boston Globe's Matt Porter and John R. Ellement reported police and first responders pronounced Hayes dead at his home in Milton, Massachusetts, on Monday morning. His cause of death remains unknown but "is not considered suspicious," per Porter and Ellement.

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Hayes in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft, and he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and his hometown team, the Boston Bruins.

Hayes played three seasons for the Golden Eagles and helped them win a national championship in 2010. His 35 points that season were fifth on the team.

The Dorchester, Massachusetts, native made his NHL debut on Dec. 30, 2011, as a member of the Blackhawks.

Over seven seasons in the league, Hayes had 54 goals and 55 assists in 334 appearances. His most productive campaign came in 2014-15 as a member of the Panthers, when he scored 19 goals and assisted on 16 more.

Hayes' last NHL game was with the Devils on April 7, 2018.

His younger brother, Kevin, is an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews was announced Thursday as the cover athlete for EA Sports' NHL 22 video game.

"I think it's a good cover. Not many people get to be on the cover of the video game. I consider myself pretty lucky," Matthews told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "I think it's going to be a pretty sweet game."

It's the second time the 23-year-old center has earned the honor after previously gracing the cover of NHL 20. The four-time All-Star told Wyshynski he's not the biggest video game fan, but if he does pick up the sticks it's usually a sports game.

"I've always played video games here and there. I've never been a super-gamer kind of guy, but I do enjoy playing them a lot," Matthews said. "NHL is one that I always enjoyed playing, and looked forward to getting every Christmas. But I played a little FIFA once in a while, which gives you the itch to play the sport itself."

Matthews, who underwent wrist surgery Friday that'll halt his offseason training for at least six weeks, is coming off another standout year for Toronto.

The first overall pick in the 2016 draft led the NHL with 41 goals, which was eight more than the second-ranked player (Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid, 33), and also chipped in 25 assists for 66 points in 52 games.

Matthews has scored at least 34 goals in all five of his seasons with the Leafs, finding the net a total of 199 times in 334 career games.

Toronto will start the 2021-22 season Oct. 13 when it hosts the rival Montreal Canadiens.

NHL 22 is scheduled for an Oct. 15 worldwide release on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

Owen Power, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NHL draft, reportedly won't play for the Buffalo Sabres this season. 

Per Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News, Power will return to the University of Michigan for his sophomore year. 

A 6'5" defenseman, Power rose to the top of draft boards during his freshman campaign with the Wolverines. He scored 16 points in 26 games and was named to the All-Big Ten second team. 

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters after selecting Power with the top pick that the team believes his all-around game will translate to the NHL: 

“The way he handles himself on the ice and in all parts of his game, with the puck, his poise, the defensive reads he makes with a great stick, his hockey IQ -- I love that. I love his length and love his skating. Just an all-around good player that we really think is going to continue to get better and better. And he’s a really high character kid who is excited about being in Buffalo.”

While it is unusual for a No. 1 pick to delay his NHL career, it's not unheard of.

Erik Johnson, the first pick in the 2006 draft by the St. Louis Blues, played one season at the University of Minnesota in 2006-07 before going to the NHL.

The move didn't appear to hurt Johnson's development, as the Minnesota native posted 33 points as a rookie with the Blues during the 2007-08 season. 

Michigan has legitimate national title aspirations in 2021-22 with Power returning. Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson, who were both selected in the top five of the 2021 NHL draft, are also considering returning to college next season. 

The Sabres are still in the early stages of a rebuild after finishing with just 37 points last season. They can afford to wait for Power to join them as they continue to build a young roster capable of competing for a future playoff spot.   

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews underwent wrist surgery on Friday and will be out a minimum of six weeks, the team announced.

That puts his return right around the Leafs' Sept. 25 preseason opener against the Montreal Canadiens.

Matthews was one of the best players in the league last season, winning the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's goal-scoring leader, netting 41 goals in 52 games.

The 23-year-old missed the NHL All-Star Weekend last season to recover from a wrist injury. That has nagged him since January 2020, though Matthews is far from injury-prone. He missed time for upper-body injuries in 2017 and missed four weeks with a shoulder issue in 2018.

The center finished the 2019-20 campaign with 80 points (47 goals, 33 assists), earning votes for both the Hart and Selke Trophies. 

Toronto is expected to contend for a Stanley Cup once again in 2021-22, but that largely hinges on the health and effectiveness of Matthews. Already that's been thrown into doubt for the start of the season as the Arizona native begins his rehab process and works toward a return to the ice.

Representatives for Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel released a statement blaming the team for failing to trade the center ahead of free agency.

After Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters "we're in control of this process", Eichel's agents, Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli, wrote that "the process is not working" and Eichel is awaiting medical clearance to have the surgery he needs to be ready for the start of next season.

“What’s critically important to make sure is clear is that we’re in control of this process,” Adams said Thursday. “We have a player under contract. We don’t feel any pressure. If there’s a deal out there that we feel is the right thing for the Buffalo Sabres, that’s going to help us improve—whether that’s improve right away or improve down the road, those are all the things weigh—we’d be open to it. But we’re not in a position where we feel we’re just going to do something to do it. That doesn’t make any sense.”

Eichel is under contract in Buffalo through 2025-26. 

Fish and Donatelli noted both the Sabres medical staff and Eichel's independent doctors required surgery, however, the agents claim Buffalo now disagrees with the procedure the center prefers.

Adams said the front office continues to have conversations with multiple teams about a deal for Eichel. However, he'll remain patient when it comes to moving the Sabres captain. 

“I take the emotion out of it," Adams said. "We look at what is best for us moving forward, and if there’s something that makes sense, we’ll do it. But what I can’t say is, ‘It has to be this time or that time or any sort of pressure point.’ If it’s the right time and the right deal we'll do it. I feel very strongly about that.”

Eichel is still just 24 years old and should have a long career as a No. 1 center ahead of him once he gets healthy enough to return to the ice. Yet he played just 21 games in 2020-21 after finishing with fewer than 70 games played in three of his previous four seasons. 

A $10 million average annual salary isn't easy to move in the best of circumstances, but the lack of medical treatment—to say nothing of a lack of urgency by the front office—only seems to delay the inevitable. 

Eichel wants out of Buffalo, and he needs to be healthy to continue his career. His agents believe the Sabres are the reason neither issue has been resolved. 

Montreal Canadiens chairman Geoff Molson released a statement on Wednesday supporting his club's decision to select Logan Mailloux No. 31 overall in last week's draft while attempting to assure fans the franchise takes seriously the defenseman's criminal conviction in Sweden during his time playing club hockey abroad. 

According to Katie Strang and Corey Pronman of The Athletic, the 18-year-old was "investigated and issued a fine for 'Kränkande fotografering' (photographic activity constituting an invasion of privacy) and 'Förtal' (defamation)" after a woman reported Mailloux to local police for sharing a photo taken without her consent while engaging in a sexual act.

Molson said:

Our selection of Logan was never intended to be disrespectful towards [the woman] or her family, or more generally towards women or other victims of similar situations. Our decision was not intended, in any shape or form, to be an endorsement of the culture of violence against women.  

Logan is a young man who committed a serious transgression. He is genuinely remorseful about the pain he has caused. He is committed to becoming a better person and we will work with him through this process." 

The chairman's comments were published on the team's website 30 minutes before NHL free agency opened.

The 50-year-old Molson laid out three immediate steps the franchise will take in the wake of the draft. First, the Habs will spend the next few months working with local experts to develop a "comprehensive plan to raise awareness and educate young men and women about this serious issue." The defenseman will not report to rookie training camp this summer or main training camp this fall. Montreal is not guaranteeing Mailloux a spot in the organization, explaining he will have to earn the privilege to play in the NHL. Finally, the Canadiens said they will oversee and support Mailloux's commitment to "becoming a better person." 

No steps or concrete actions were laid out explaining how the club will help him or how the front office will determine if he's cleared to join the organization. 

In an email to The Athletic, the woman said she has not forgiven Mailloux and does not believe he has shown remorse for his actions. 

"I do not think that Logan has understood the seriousness of his behavior," the woman wrote. "... Logan says that I want to ruin his career. I have never said that. All I have wanted is to get justice for the actions he has taken against me. If his actions ruin his career, it’s up to him. It’s not my fault."

The woman added that despite seeking a written "heartfelt apology," Mailloux responded with a text message containing three sentences. Subsequent apology attempts, she said, were made "at the behest" of Mailloux's former club, SK Lejon. 

As news of Mailloux's conviction made its way to NHL scouts, The Athletic reported that at least 11 teams took him off their draft boards. Not long after, the defenseman put out a statement renouncing himself from the NHL Draft.

The Canadiens drafted him anyway, reportedly believing another team would do so if they passed:

The pick received near-immediate negative reaction, including from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—a Montreal fan—who chimed in during a press conference Tuesday.

"I think it was a lack of judgment by the Canadiens organization," Trudeau said. "I think they have a lot of explaining to do to Montrealers and fans right across the country."

It's also the second consecutive season an NHL team has drafted a player with a significant criminal conviction. In 2020, the Arizona Coyotes selected Mitchell Miller No. 111 overall despite a prior conviction in juvenile court of bullying and abusing a Black developmentally disabled classmate. After initially defending the pick, mounting public backlash led to the team renouncing Miller's draft rights. 

Montreal's selection of Mailloux also comes amid an investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks after two players claimed the team's front office covered up sexual abuse by then-video coach Bradley Aldrich in 2010. Chicago is facing two lawsuits related to Aldrich, one from a former player who alleged the team refused to report Aldrich to local police in 2010 and another from a former high school player in Michigan who Aldrich plead guilty to sexually abusing in 2013. The second lawsuit alleges the Blackhawks gave Aldrich positive references to the Michigan high school where the coach was later convicted of sexual assault. 

In a post-draft press conference last week, Mailloux said the Canadiens have committed to helping him grow as a person. Molson reiterated that notion in his Wednesday statement just before the team announced it signed David Savard and Mike Hoffman in free agency. 

"We gave Logan a second chance but in doing so, we failed to properly assess the impact of our decision on the victim and on anyone who have suffered in similar circumstances," Molson said. "Once again, I want to apologize to everyone impacted by our decision. I repeat, our actions will speak louder than our words. We will work to continue proving we are an organization this community and our fans can be proud of."  

Marc Bergevin made a hockey decision Friday night. The Montreal Canadiens general manager got up in a room full of his employees during the NHL's virtual draft and announced the club's first-round pick at No. 31: defenseman Logan Mailloux.

I'm not sure what the mood was like in Montreal, but those of us watching the broadcast watched in horror as Bergevin chose a player who was fined for a crime of a sexual nature and asked teams not to pick him as a result.

Mailloux, at 17 years old, took a photo of a woman he was engaged in a consensual sexual act with in Sweden without her consent and showed his teammates on Snapchat without her knowledge. He was not arrested but fined for offensive photography constituting an invasion of privacy and defamation.

There was quite a bit of consternation about it in the NHL, and Mailloux was asked about it in his predraft interviews. He received backlash in the Swedish press and eventually decided to renounce his draft rights.

"The NHL draft should be one of the most exciting landmark moments in a player's career, and given the circumstances, I don't feel I have demonstrated strong enough maturity or character to earn that privilege in the 2021 draft," he wrote in a statement on Twitter. "I know it will take time for society to build back the trust I have lost, and that is why I think it is best that I renounce myself from the 2021 NHL draft and ask that no one select me this upcoming weekend."

There is no formal mechanism in place to withdraw from consideration in the NHL draft. Once the paperwork is submitted to the NHL's central registry, he is free to be drafted, so the Habs were always free to make this pick.

"You cannot remove yourself from the draft," Bergevin said after selecting Mailloux. "Even if he said so, you're eligible to be drafted, so that was clear with the league."

But there is an easy way to get around that: Take him off your draft board, as 11 teams did, according to The Athletic.

Instead, Bergevin and his director of amateur scouting, Martin Lapointe, chose to do the opposite. It was more than just tone-deaf, it was an insult to every woman in the organization, every woman in Montreal and every female NHL fan who has ever experienced sexual assault or harassment. The Habs made a calculated decision that Mailloux was worth the backlash, indicating they don't really care about his behavior off the ice and what kind of message that sends to their fans and their community.

The club quickly released a statement after the selection. The statement said the club will not minimize Mailloux's actions and that he had admitted to a serious mistake. Bergevin doubled down on this "mistake" narrative in his press conference following the draft.

"We understand, and we're fully aware and we as an organization think it's very unacceptable," Bergevin said. "But also, it's a young man that made a terrible mistake. He's 17 years old and he's willing and he understands and he's remorseful and he has a lot of work to do, but he already started to put it behind him and have a hockey career."

Really, if you have to release a statement like this, then you should probably realize it's the wrong pick. The Canadiens seem to think this is just a mistake that can be undone if Mailloux just gets a chance to get on with his life and play some hockey. But it can never be undone for the woman in Sweden, who told The Athletic she doesn't "think that Logan has understood the seriousness of his behavior" and that all she has "wanted is to get justice for the actions he has taken against me."

"I know I caused a lot of harm to this person and their family, and I regret doing this stupid and egotistical act," Mailloux told reporters Saturday morning. "I deeply regret it. What I did now is unfortunately a part of both her life and mine. I've apologized to her but, nonetheless, this will follow her for the rest of her life. And for that, I deeply and sincerely regret it."

Mailloux said he is attending counseling, and he expressed remorse. But this entire incident further exposes how broken this culture is.

It's not just hockey culture that is broken, it's sports culture in general. For too long the men in charge of sports have been willing to overlook these things as long as elite athletes remain elite.

In one example among many, Trevor Bauer is under criminal investigation after a woman filed a restraining order against him. The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander, who won the National League Cy Young Award with the Cincinnati Reds last season, has been accused of choking the woman until she lost consciousness on multiple occasions, punching her in several areas and injuring her to the point of hospitalization over the course of two sexual encounters earlier this year.

Bauer's co-agents, Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba, have refuted the allegations and deny the woman's account of what happened.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred acted slowly in placing Bauer on administrative leave. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the league recommended the team let Bauer make his regularly scheduled start on July 4 against the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers, not wanting to get slapped with a grievance from the MLBPA, complied and said they would not skip his start.

After Roberts told reporters the issue was "out of [the Dodgers'] hands," the wife of an MLB player messaged me. Being a victim of sexual assault herself, she asked how she was supposed to feel going to her husband's games. The issue itself was triggering, and she felt as if MLB were giving a big middle finger to all of the women who had experienced similar atrocities and was essentially saying "it's not our problem."

What can they do about serious allegations against their players? It's out of their hands!

Bergevin is sending a similar message. But if you look at his track record, he always has.

This is the general manager of a team that was reportedly interested in Slava Voynov after he was suspended indefinitely after pleading no-contest to misdemeanor corporal injury to a spouse in 2015. His wife told police that Voynov choked her, pushed her to the ground and kicked her multiple times, and shoved her into a television screen on Halloween in 2014.

This is the general manager of a team that reportedly had an interest in signing problematic defenseman Tony DeAngelo a few months ago. Among other issues, in 2014, DeAngelo was suspended in the OHL for directing slurs at a teammate.

This is the same general manager who recently hired Sean Burke, who pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife in 1997, as the Habs' director of goaltending.

It wouldn't have been hard to pass on Mailloux. A lot of other teams did it.

There were rumors that Mailloux might be taken in a later round, and Bergevin was likely worried he would lose his guy. By selecting him in the first round and being "proud" to do so, Bergevin might as well have gotten on Zoom and told all of the women on the call that they don't matter and that he doesn't care if he's alienating an important part of the fanbase.

Hockey is not safer with Bergevin in it, and the sad thing is, he isn't alone. It's the culture. Look at the lawsuits against the Chicago Blackhawks, the team he previously worked for.

Their former skills coach, Paul Vincent, told TSN that in a 2010 meeting, he shared with then-president John McDonough, vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, general manager Stan Bowman and team sports psychologist James Gary that two players had told him then-video coach Bradley Aldrich had sexually assaulted them. Vincent said the executives chose not to go to the police.

Bergevin, the Blackhawks' director of player personnel at the time, has said he was unaware of the allegations and will participate in the independent investigation.

Mailloux said publicly the right things, but Montreal did the wrong thing. The hockey rationale that he was the best player available doesn't hold up in this instance. There were other defensemen they could have taken at No. 31. Lots of them. Bergevin and the Habs gave Mailloux a free pass, excused his actions and showed others that they too can behave badly and still be chosen in the first round of the NHL draft.

This was never just a simple hockey decision because it's not simple for the victim on the other end of this. It's incredibly complex. It's a mess, but it's a mess of hockey's own creation.

Despite renouncing himself from the 2021 NHL draft, Logan Mailloux was selected in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens. 

Mailloux was taken No. 31 overall on Friday night. The Canadiens said in a statement they "are aware of the situation" he's involved in and they are "by no means" minimizing the severity of his actions. 

The 18-year-old issued a statement on social media earlier this week asking not to be drafted by any team:

Mailloux's statement came in the wake of a report by Katie Strang and Corey Pronman of The Athletic reporting that he took a photograph of a woman performing a sexual act without her consent and circulated it among some of his teammates. 

“I do not think that Logan has understood the seriousness of his behavior,” the woman told Strang and Pronman in an email.

The woman also said she previously asked Mailloux to issue "a heartfelt apology for his behavior," but he responded with “a text that was no longer than three sentences.”

Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff.com reported "multiple teams" put Mailloux on their do-not-draft list as a result of his summary fine of roughly $4,300 for charges of offensive photography and defamation. 

Per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, there were multiple teams that indicated they might select Mailloux in the second round before the Canadiens made their next pick at No. 63. 

Mailloux spent the 2020-21 season on loan to SK Lejon in Sweden's Hockeyettan. He previously played for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.