Excerpt from 'Habs Hockey Report' of host Amy Johnson commenting on the upcoming competition for a spot on the Montreal Canadiens blue line. Back in September, the Canadiens management team repeated that the 2023-24 season was going to be focused on growth. With the regular season wrapping up on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, the evaluation on meeting the objective will begin immediately at the conclusion of the contest. "It’s a season that we progressed a lot. If we look at the team that started the season in September and the team that is currently on the ice, there’s a lot of young players that succeeded in developing," Geoff Molson told TVA Sports. While the team battles this year for a chance to win the draft lottery, the owner anticipates a higher finish in the standings next season. "It’s promising for next year. I think we can dream about being in the [playoff] mix next year because of all the development that happened." While Molson isn't stating that the playoffs are a must for 2024-25, he's setting the bar a little higher than this season. At the Canadiens golf tournament prior to the start of the current season, management refused to say playoffs and referred to it as the 'p-word.' Looking for the Apple Podcasts link? Click here [https://t.co/wviOKN4d6b]! LOOKING FOR THE APPLE PODCASTS LINK? CLICK HERE! PLAN GOING WELL Molson has not been shy to regularly communicate that this is the first rebuild in the organization's history. The patience level of the fan base is varying as a portion is fully on-board with the direction, while another portion wants more immediate results. "I was surprised [fans' patience] at the beginning because it was a big decision to take to completely rebuild this team. But now, I think the fans are a point that they’re starting to fall in love with this team and the young players that are developing. Our fans want to see [the young players] progression. Eventually they will lose patience but for the moment, we’re lucky that we have fans that understand what we’re doing right now. The day will come that they will be proud of this team that will win on the ice," noted the owner during the interview that aired on Saturday. A recurring question from the fan base is about the duration of the rebuild and the expectation of the team to become a contender. "We’re two-and-a-half years into the rebuild. I’m convinced that I found the right people to do it. I can’t say today if we’re ahead or behind the plan, but we’re in the plan and it’s going really well. I have no doubt that the plan will continue this summer and spring to prepare the team to be even better next season," answered the leader of Groupe CH. The rebuild was put in the hands of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes' leadership and with Martin St. Louis handling the day-to-day coaching responsibilities. "The three people (Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes, Martin St. Louis ) that we have leading all of this are smart, excellent and I have confidence in them," Molson expressed during the one-on-one. In February, Gorton's name was linked to the vacant position with the Columbus Blue Jackets leadership due to his previous relationship with John Davidson with the New York Rangers. "I read [the rumors] in the newspaper. The first call I made was to Jeff Gorton. I haven’t spoken about it to anyone else. There’s no one that approached me. This story was invented," addressed Molson. He added that he would decline any request received for permission to speak to Gorton for a job. Be sure to bookmark THN.com/Montreal [https://thn.com/montreal] for year-round coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, Laval Rocket, and Habs prospects playing in leagues around the world. The Hockey News: Pick A Free Issue! [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk3MTk4Mzc0MTE4Nzc2/hockeynewsad.jpg] The Hockey News: Pick A Free Issue!
