Canadiens Extensions: The Gorton And Hughes Decision

One of the biggest lies in Montreal Canadiens history is that the fan base would not tolerate a rebuild, having become accustomed to winning as supporters of one of the most storied franchises in sports history.

Perhaps qualifying it as a lie is unfair. Some fans were not thrilled with the idea of rebuilding when Jeff Gorton was hired on November 28, 2021, with Kent Hughes joining the team shortly afterwards, on January 18, 2022.

But the overwhelming support for the decisions made since shows that Habs fans are indeed capable of tolerating a few bad seasons if it improves the odds of the team becoming a legitimate contender in the future.

In other words, saying Canadiens fans would not be interested in a rebuild was more of an excuse than a lie

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

Both Hughes and Gorton have approached the situation with the type of open communication and honesty toward fans that is necessary in a hockey-crazed market, and while not all their signings, trades, and draft picks have led to successful outcomes, the good certainly outweighs the bad.

With that in mind, the Canadiens are reportedly interested in extending their dynamic management duo, in a bid to ensure stability and due diligence throughout the most difficult stage of the rebuild, which involves taking a significant step forward, and establishing a winning attitude that is paired with constant playoff appearances, and, eventually, perhaps more.

It’s my job to find nits to pick, and thanks to the power of hindsight, we can safely say they have not been perfect, with some of the early trades slowly losing their shine, including the trades that saw Tyler Toffoli join the Calgary Flames, and Artturi Lehkonen join the Colorado Avalanche.

You could even argue the decision to acquire Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks has backfired to a certain extent, but at the time, it was a bold move that was designed to improve the lineup in the long-term, and there’s still a chance Dach will be able to shed his injury-prone history to re-establish himself as a top-six centre.

Unlike previous management groups, Gorton and Hughes have not avoided taking risks simply because some of their decisions did not work out perfectly. By doing so, they avoided the ultimate risk, which is avoiding risk all together, as it ensures little to no long-term growth.

ON TOPIC: Montreal Canadiens State Of The Rebuild – Grading Trades

The easiest part of the rebuild is done, the Habs have essentially traded most of their veterans for future assets, and they have done a reasonably good job at the draft.

Now, the hard work begins, centred on ensuring a continuous upward trend for the youngest team in the NHL, a tall task for any management group.

The multi-year honeymoon between the fans and management may come to an end should the Habs fail to make the playoffs in 2025-26, but given their approach in recent years, it’s rather difficult to project a situation in which Gorton and Hughes would panic, leading to a series of decisions that would improve the short-term outlook, at the expense of long-term success.

In that vein, not only is a contact extension with the Montreal Canadiens in order, it will be met with little to no resistance from some of the most intense and opinionated fans in the NHL.

It will be celebrated, and justly so.