Nothing is guaranteed in hockey; the fact that a team decides to undergo a rebuild doesn’t necessarily mean it will emerge as a contender. For some teams, the process can last for years. Consider the Buffalo Sabres, who haven’t made the playoffs for 14 years. When the Montreal Canadiens decided to start over, some fans were anxious, wondering if they could cope with such a lengthy rebuilding process.
Granted, it was hard for the Montreal faithful to see new GM Kent Hughes trade Artturi Lehkonen, Tyler Toffoli, Jeff Patry, Ben Chiarot, and co., but the style of play they were treated to once Martin St-Louis was appointed as coach made the whole endeavour much more digestible. Even though the focus was initially put on development rather than results, the Habs put on a good show, and the fans enjoyed it.
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While the previous regime had all its eggs in the defensive side of the game, Hughes and Jeff Gorton came in and shifted that focus. The fact that Carey Price was effectively forced to retire because of injuries made that move easier. It was no secret that Hughes wanted a faster and more offensive-minded team, and his choice of coach showed that. In his first press conference, the GM had also said that ideally, a team matches the coach’s style, and slowly but surely, they assembled a roster that fits St-Louis’ style.
Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki were already in place. Still, in their first draft at the helm, the Canadiens’ brass picked Lane Hutson, a diminutive blueliner who plays the kind of game St-Louis likes. They also drafted Ivan Demidov, a player with a high Hockey IQ who can read the game very well on the fly, just the kind of player the coach likes.
On the trade market, the Habs also acquired promising assets up front with the likes of Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. While these moves have yet to pan out completely, they were still players with a knack for the offensive game, and then, last offseason, they acquired a pure sniper in Patrik Laine.
To win, you need to strike the right balance and have a well-rounded team all around. Hughes and Gorton bet on the prospects that were already on the team’s reserve list and added a right-shot blueliner in Justin Barron, before also drafting David Reinbacher. When Barron failed to meet their expectations, they didn’t hesitate to move on and acquired Alex Carrier to steady their young defense corps and bring in a more defensive rearguard.
In net, they grabbed Jacob Fowler at the 2023 draft, and so far, it looks like they’ve hit a homerun. Jakub Dobes is also showing some promise, while Samuel Montembeault has yet to hit his ceiling.
Now that the team is more focused on results, the Tricolore’s brass went out to get an offensive right-shot defenseman with plenty of experience and offensive talent. The way this front office is going about the rebuild is inspiring. They are looking at the big picture and know that they have to play on all fronts to build a winner.
They still need some depth at center, but you can’t address every issue at once, and the Canadiens will eventually get there. They have the patience required to allow for organic growth and informed decisions. Despite qualifying for the playoffs last season, the Habs are not planning to put their rebuild in overdrive; slow and steady wins the race, and the men in charge certainly intend to win the race to the Stanley Cup eventually.
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