The Montreal Canadiens are struggling right now and it's not pretty, but there's very little that can be done to speed up the process according to Elliotte Friedman.
On the 32 Thoughts Podcast today, Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman discussed the state of the Montreal Canadiens and explained that the team is not a destination yet. By destination, they mean a team where players actually want to do. As an example, they mentioned Artemi Panarin deciding the New York Rangers were the one and only destination for him.
After watching the first 11 games of the season, it's very hard to argue against their point. Players right now are not looking at the Canadiens and thinking, "This is it; this is where I want to go." That's not a problem, though, not yet anyway.
Right now, the Canadiens are focusing on building from within, drafting, and developing. That takes time, and the substantial draft capital the Habs have acquired and used over the last few years has yet to mature.
What we're seeing on the ice these days is a group that's struggling and having issues implementing the concepts the coaching staff is teaching. This doesn't mean they'll never master that craft; it only means they're not there yet.
The point is, though, that the Canadiens do have good young players who are developing as we speak. As they evolve, they'll become better at applying the teachings they are struggling with. When they do, the results will be better, and then they may catch the attention of free agents looking for a destination.
At this stage, multiple sources are reporting that Kent Hughes is shopping for help around the league, but no single player will heal what ails his Canadiens. There's no miracle cure or shortcut the Habs can take that will magically land them "in the mix."
Of course, whenever he returns, Patrik Laine's return from injury will be a plus for the team, but he's not the one who'll help make this team defensively sound—far from it. As Friedman put it in the podcast, Hughes and Jeff Gorton are entering a danger zone, a time when they wish they could speed up the process, but they have to be very mindful of making "the wrong trade."
As hard as the growing pains are right now, fans, media, players, and executives alike have got to take a big breath, calm down, and stick to the plan, no matter how difficult it may be. At least they're not the only ones struggling. Who would have thought goaltending would be an issue in Boston after they signed Jeremy Swayman?
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