Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens Hit Point Of Diminishing Returns On Selling Hope
The Montreal Canadiens have reached a very difficult stage of their long-term rebuild plan. No, I am not talking about the need to improve the team, though that’s certainly a pressing concern.
Just seven games into the 2024-25 season, a chorus of frustration has taken over the Habs-related discussions. Hope has quickly been replaced by despair, and that’s a very dangerous situation for the organization.
It’s easy to suggest fans need to dig deep and stay the course, but for those who have spent their hard-earned money on tickets, patience is a luxury. The Habs are in the entertainment industry, and they’re not offering a very entertaining product.
Fork In The Montreal Canadiens Road
Many sports executives will reject the idea that fans can apply enough pressure to force a change.
Many executives are lying.
Whether they recognize it or not, fans are the driving force behind every aspect of the sports landscape. It’s why many general managers are fired once fan confidence dissipates. It’s also why new general managers spend a lot of energy connecting with fans, just as Kent Hughes did when we took over from Marc Bergevin.
Hughes has hit a point of diminishing returns when it comes to selling hope, a situation that he anticipated from the first day on the job. He suggested the most challenging stage of the rebuild would be when the honeymoon with fans comes to an end.
The room has been cleaned, luggage has been packed, and the taxi bringing fans to the airport is on its way.
The honeymoon is clearly over.
What Hughes does next will come to define his tenure as the team’s general manager.
It would be foolish to cater to every whim and fancy, but there is some wisdom to be found within the heightened level of criticism this season. Fans aren’t expecting the team to win every game. Losses are par for the course. But they do (rightfully) expect the players to offer legitimate efforts every night.
The preseason was chaotic, and frankly, useless when it came to evaluating players. However, there was some value to the attitude the team adopted following the injury to newcomer Patrik Laine. Win or lose, the Habs committed to going out on their shields, a noble, if not necessary approach to any rebuild.
But that sense of team unity has already left the building, replaced by a squad of players that seem as frustrated as the fans when it comes to the team’s lack of success.
“We had a really good first shift until the end of that shift. Then the icing, then the turnover…the team was actually ready to play. We just shot outselves in the foot. When we had a pushback, we gave up that 5th goal. We were deflated.”
– Coach Marty St. Louis today pic.twitter.com/YZhCJxmSNd
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 23, 2024
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
As harsh as it sounds, there is no room to be deflated in professional sports. The Canadiens could help their cause by bringing Arber Xhekaj back into the mix, as he was clearly the driving force behind the change in attitude during the preseason, but this issue goes beyond just one defenceman.
Sweeping changes are not necessary, at least not yet, and if history is any indication, attempting to speed up a rebuild has been the death knell for many franchises, but the Canadiens can certainly start to trim the fat when it comes to their current squad.
Fans have shown the ultimate dedication to this franchise for years, if not decades, and now they want to see the players on the ice display that same type of commitment. It’s a very reasonable compromise, and one that can be achieved without spending assets to improve the team in the short term.
Pride starts at the top, which means Hughes and Co. now have a responsibility to ensure every player who puts on la Sainte-Flanelle is doing it for the logo on the front, not just the name on the back.
There’s nothing wrong with anything written. It’s all correct. More commitment, passion, focus, energy, effort, and skill. All needed.
What I will say to the doomsayers though, is this is literally just the start of the 3rd full season of the rebuild. There are still several vets on this team that are not part of the future and that need to be jettisoned. Heineman, Roy, kapanen, Beck, mesar, Hutson, reinbacher, Mailloux, Engstrom, Fowler, Hage, demidov… they have less than a season in the nhl COMBINED. They actually might have less than HALF a season COMBINED. We were never going to be great this year. These kids need to make it to the nhl AND gain AT LEAST a couple years of experience before this team is actually good. I think people’s expectations were just wayyyyyy too high. It’s basically the same team as last year with some bottom 6 changes, and Dach in for monahan, plus Hutson and Mailloux, both rookies, minus Harris and kovy…. Seriously, what were you hoping for?
Entertainment, work ethic, improvement no doubt. Thus far it hasn’t been there but it’s super early and again we’re already injured. In the two full seasons since the rebuild began we have rid ourselves of bad veterans, gotten younger, AND earned more points in the standings despite being riddled with injuries. In the grand scheme, this team IS improving. It’s just a bad start so far.
I think next year a bunch of the bad vets are gone, we get higher ceiling youth in, and then we really have a team made of the ppl who will be here when we contend. Next year is our baseline year. Only gally, Anderson, and matheson should be here from the older crowd, but Suzy, Dach, caufield, Newhook, laine, Monty, are still “younger but veteran” players. Next year is a fresh slate. Until we get to the point that the team is getting OLDER and we’re not earning more points, I think the course is good. For now, we’re still getting younger AND improving our points. That’s really all you can ask for… BUT, if the team looks like it did last night for a chunk of the season, there’s no way our points will increase…. We’ll see what happens
I’ll admit to high expectations this year. But then, the loss of Laine, the injuries to Ghule and Slafkovsky and the iffy goaltending. (Don’t tell me you have faith in this duo. One great game every half dozen does not a steady goaltenter make.) This team is playing worse this year than last. What the heck is going on?
We need a real defenceman, a Shea Weber type who can steady this defence.
We need a number 1 goalie.
We need to get rid of Armia, Newhook ( a failed trade I’m afraid), Dvorak (can’t even win faceoffs anymore), Anderson(he doesn’t bring it anymore), Pezzetta (we need someone like him but with a little more offensive upside) and maybe even Jake Evans(not much offence and really not that great defensively).
We need second line scoring.
We need more team toughness, especially a couple of rugged forwards. We do not have a forward that worries defenceman when he comes in on the forecheck.
We need more players who drive the play, players that can make and take a pass, players with more talent.
Time is ticking and if the team regresses this year it is not a good thing. Through seven games I enjoyed watching the team more last year. Watching Hutson is fun but seeing him set up team mates to score and watching them miss those opportunities is getting tiresome. He wants to win and he is already trying to do too much out there.
That was my rant. I just want this team to play hard and look a little more cohesive instead of looking like the Keystone cops out there.
Right now the Habs are playing worse than they did last year. They were seldom out of the game last year save for a couple of times being completely outclassed by the Rangers, Hurricanes etc. But this year, it’s like they are being completely outplayed by almost anyone… I think they can certainly improve and they will…They are being embarassed and this should light a fire under their collective butts. If they don’t start hustling more, it’s gonna be a very long and dissapointing season…But I am not throwing in the towel just yet. They have too many good players to not get their act in gear.. They need to get a winning streak going…
Yes and No
Context is important
We’ve lost a defensman for the whole game a lot
Not just ejections but injuries.
We were playing with 4 after Matheson was ejects and Barron left.
Wasnt the first time this year and thats on the coach.
You can only dress the extra Forward over Defense so many times and get screwed.
Eventually if you dont learn from it , its the coaches fault.
Im a MSL guy but a fail is a fail.
I cant pretend he isnt crapping the bed just because i like him.
He’ll figure it out but i said it from day 1 that an all rookie coaching staff isnt smart.
Without Veteran you’re bound to lose no matter what you do.
When I play scrabble I often get lousy tiles, but it is my job to make the most of the tiles that I pick out of the bag. And if I lose badly I do not blame the tiles as I feel that I could have performed better with the tiles I picked out of the bag. And it is the same with a hockey coach who must do the best he can with the cards he is dealt.
They are bad.Buy it ..Know it…Bad choices all the way around
I have been telling this schtick for 2 years now…when are y’alls going to finally clue into it???
Just because you decide to “rebuild” and trade off assets for high-end picks and prospects does NOT guarantee you turn it around and get good. Just because you “clean house” and fire the GM and bring in a new one does NOT guarantee you turn it around and get good.
We could be saying this same thing 2 or 3 years from now.
Look at Buff and Ott and Ariz/Utah and SJ and Chic and ANA. ALL have been bad for what…3-6 years now – did any one of them turn it around yet and get good yet? No. And how many high-end draft picks and prospects have they stockpiled over that many years?
Its NOT a guarantee to improve and it does not necessarily improve at a measured pace. Especially when your team seems to be hexed with injuries galore every frickin’ season.
We’re not that bad off
We’re just at the point people are realizing MSL is in over his head
Too many young guys is a struggle for most coaches, even Vet’s
But having an entire staff of guys greener then Willie Nelsons Grass is a hard sell.
You need a guy in there to provide Insight.
Without it you do dumb stuff like bench Xhekaj vs Trouba’s team SMH
I mean with Rempe and Trouba being dressed benching Xhekaj got Matheson tossed
It also put him in a position where the guy who never fights had to.
Its not the pieces that are bad
Its the strategy of “lets try to out skill the gritty teams and out grit the skilled teams”
Its just moronic
I’ve been a vocal cheerleader of the rebuild. Primarily, I focused on individual players and their potential based on what they’ve displayed and I see a lot of reason for optimism, but obviously not as soon as I predicted, which was they would be just outside looking in this year and just inside the playoff cut line next year. The progression logic for this year was that last year there were a lot of injuries, lost 1 goal games, kids learning to be pros and other reasons that caused us to finish 6 games under .500, but up from 14 games under the year before- marked improvement as you would expect.
Add Hutson, Dach, Roy and have the first line continue to improve and this year should be a game of two over .500 especially after adding laine. So far, so awful… Dach has been dreadful. He’s not improving as he gets more game action. We’ve seen lots of guys come back after missing significant time and get back up to previous levels quickly. I’m no starting to doubt his ability to lead the second line.
Past few games, I’ve been watching systems more than players. Or more accurately, I’ve been looking for systems but I’m really not seeing functional cohesion or structure. Guys seem to be over thinking and chasing instead of knowing what to do and where they are supposed to be. A lot of folks are looking at Marty and I am too. I think there is lots of talent, but that only takes you so far. I can’t think of any game this year that we out worked the opposition. Furthermore, his personnel decisions have been questionable and player development plans don’t really seem effective. Recall, for example, Slafkovsky last year. After a miserable rookie campaign, he started out poorly again. Marty dropped him down the charts but it was Suzuki that stepped up , took him under his wing and guided Juraj, and he deserves credit. Take Xhekaj as another example. Marty has him terrified and restricted( weird that it would be a small guy that terrifies the sheriff) . He’s regressed significantly year over year. Roy, what’s he doing with him? He’s using Hutson poorly, he needs to provide him with an environment to succeed. He’s over using him and in hard situations. He’s a special talent but he looks overwhelmed in our end. I could go on. Most players are similarly struggling, there are not a lot of success stories right now. And there are no reasons to expect the results will improve anytime soon without better coaching. Hughes and Gorton need to make sure they understand Marty’s plans so they can support and assist him and also hold him accountable. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.
I’m still a huge fan of the talent we are assembling on the roster and in the pipeline, players that when they play well together and up to their potential should make us competitive with the better teams, but that’s in a few years. The rebuild is a process, not an event, but I’m concerned with the current situation .Its evident that there are issues, let’s see how we address and overcome them.
I said it in the Summer, Matheson is in the way.
It sounds Harsh but if he was a Righty, it’d be different.
He is not, and we have Lane Hutson to consider.
IMO Guhle and Xhekaj are your 2 guys with Hutson on LD.
From there its figuring out if keeping Matheson an extra year is worth it.
Its not Matheson fault to be clear
He’s played beyond expectation
That said Clearly this is Savard’s Defense
He’s leading them, He’s Mentoring the youth
For this reason is say move Matheson and re-sign Savard to a 2 year deal.
Barron isnt gonna pan out, Reinbacher set back at least a year thanks to injuries.
Mailloux isnt Mature enough to play a true top 4 role like we’ll need him to.
So Savard Staying just makes the most sense.
Why Xhekaj over Matheson? Many Reason
But the most obvious is i dont fear playing against Matheson.
Good as he is he doesnt have a 107MPH slap shot nor does he play Gritty.
We have what Matheson brings in Hutson, We dont have what Xhekaj brings in anyone
wow the epitome of “I want it now” generation us fans.
Look we lost to Rangers and bruins (better teams), we beat Toronto (always fun) and Ottawa (ditto), lost to Kings and Pens (should be able to match up with these 2) and lost a close one to NYI (similar team)
All this hand wringing over the first 7 games…I know people dont want to hear it but this is a young team. 4 rookies last game, .. what are the expectations?
Injuries – lets fire another med crew
Players making mistakes – MSL doesnt have a good system/its too complicated/not structured – heard all this way too many times
This team may dig itself a big hole and eliminate any chance to play meaningful games… that will be their cross to bear.
I was at the Pitt game – spent $$$
Enjoyed myself.
The people watching at home get to see what the camera man shows you – about 40% of the game.
Would you prefer to be a Nashville/Colorado/SJS fan?
How would you feel if you had McD and Dais and had the same amount of points as MTL?
This season will be somewhere between a top 5 pick and a sniff of the Wild card. … live with it.
If you dont enjoy, dont watch, but the fans I saw at the Pitt loss enjoyed themselves.
Development is not linear (heard of the sophmore jinx?) and players are neither robots nor photocopies – just because something worked last year/week/game does NOT mean it works tonight.
No substitute for experience and that takes time…
No one gonna die if the habs finish last…or first.
If there is no improvement by 2026-2027 – then u can worry..
Are you really telling us that you see more of the game while AT the game? I guess you pay for the good seats then. Try saying that in the $300 standing room spaces, or in one of the back rows on a bad angle behind one net. I think i see about 5 times more on TV.
As well, at home I don’t have 200 decibels of rotten, auto tune music every break in play, and fake crowd sound to make it seem like the crowd isn’t a bunch of silent knights. It’s especially bad in Toronto, where they need that noise to make it seem like the people at the game are engaged.
It all distracts from the on ice product, and has given me a headache every game I’ve gone to since they started this.
You are correct about the idiotic level of music/sounds at the game.
You are wrong about what you can/cant see if you are paying attention. TV is puck centric, very difficult to see the scope of breakouts and defensive alignments, who is open for a lead pass, who is busting to get in the play..
TV will give a MILLION time better view of the puck going in the net…not always “how” it got there.
As for the insinuation that some seats are better than others and how that reflects on people ..well I could make a similar insinuation that good fans enjoy the experience wheras many fans will PVR the game and watch on essentially fast forward because they are only interested in results… but that is a topic for a different day..
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! We’re not even 1/10th of the way through the season. Take a breath all who are freaking out right now. We have lots more ups and downs to experience this season, and for every season after that too. Sure, there have been some disappointing performances, but that’s life when you are such a young team playing in the best league in the world. Everyone who keeps screaming about dumping Gallagher, Armia, Evans, Anderson, etc and replacing them with more kids has to understand that we will be taking steps back as the new blood experiences their growing pains. And don’t forget, the “saviour” Fowler will be arriving and having to cut his teeth for several years at a time where we’re all expecting to be making the playoffs and winning rounds. Right now things look like a mess, but win a few games and suddenly we are right back on pace to achieve what most sensible fans and media had hoped for the team this year. We were never making the playoffs this season. That was a pipe dream. Even next year is very unlikely. In the immortal words of Carey Price, “Relax, chill out. We’ve got lots of time. We’re not winning the Stanley Cup in the first exhibition game.” And we’re not throwing out the rebuild after 7 games either.
Just was checking +/- and Kirby Dach has the worst in the NHL at -10!
LOL
And last year Matheson was king of D and his +/- was -24
+/- is a tenuous stat. It IS an indicator but taken alone is not the best tool for evaluating
And corsi, that stupidly named non stat that’s supposed to show who is “driving play” is nothing more than 5 on 5 +/-. The writers and experts who all disdain +/- all glory 5 on 5 +/- under some stat week’s last name. Do we call goals Gretzkys, or assists? What’s next, we turn goals against average into Hudon? Makes me ill listening to such nonsense.
I don’t think fans are surprised that the Habs are not ready to make the playoffs. Reporters who are being negative are simply looking to stir emotions in order to get followers.
Did anyone truly expect the Habs to be in the playoff hunt?
A youth movement is coming so be pay for another 2 years at least.
Forwards can hit the ground running offensively but need 2-3 years to develop a 200 foot game.
Defensemen need 200 games under their belt before you even know what have as a player.
Goaltenders are only as good as the squad in front of them (unless you are Price). They a positional game so when they are scrambling it’s because of defensive breakdowns most of the time.
I expected a bottom 10 position this year and that hasn’t changed.
So did I. I hoped for less chaotic play, but hopefully it will improve. I’m OK with 10 more years of rebuild if at the end we win again, and are a team that will be dangerous every year for a while.
That said, it’d be nice not to have to endure many more debacle like vs the Rangers.
Stupid article. Finishing off this rebuild was always going to take at least another one to three years. we have two first round pics coming up in a very deep first round. First round that is top-heavy in excellent forwards. Clearly we need another top seven pick. Clearly we need more scoring. Clearly we need more talent upfront. Players have to be let go others have to move into spots, development has to continue in the AHL, NCAA and Europe. now is not the time for panicking or impatience. we waited this long we can wait another year. I’ve always said Huges most difficult work as ahead of him. Gallagher Anderson Dvorak savard armia RHP pezetta … all of them have to go sooner than later. we need to create spaces for young kids to play and we need to build up a war chest of cash as we look to extend contracts and sign UFA’s.
Mtl problems come down to coaching
No completely wrong but a little over-simplified. The coaches are gaining experience as the kids are. Ideally the players and coaches arrive at the relevant experience level simultaneously.