Martin St. Louis is entering his third full season as the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens and fourth season overall. He took over as interim head coach in 2021-22 after Dominique Ducharme was relieved of his duties. Since St. Louis’ induction as head coach, the Canadiens have finished dead last in the league, followed by two consecutive, fifth-last finishes. St. Louis inherited a team set on rebuilding and focused on the growth of young players, so winning wasn’t always the expectation. However, it was expected that the team would take a step forward this season. Management has stated over the summer that they expect the team to be in the mix for a playoff spot and to play some meaningful games.
Martin St. Louis Under Pressure in Montreal
With the Canadiens stumbling out of the gate, could we see Martin St. Louis relieved of his duties? The team’s head coach is on the hot seat now and the pressure will only be mounting if the team continues to struggle. Will Martin St. Louis be the future coach of the Montreal Canadiens as their rebuild progresses into the next stage?
Why the Canadiens Are Struggling
The Montreal Canadiens were expected to be a much more improved team heading into the year. They added Patrik Laine, Lane Hutson, and a healthy Kirby Dach to the mix. However, injuries struck early and have derailed their plans. But injuries can’t be completely to blame for the Canadiens slow start. The team has just not looked polished in their play this season. They are a tire fire in their own zone, players look disinterested, they’re turning pucks over, they haven’t been able to start on time, and goaltending has been inconsistent at best.
While much of this falls on the players, a lot of it also falls on the coach’s shoulders. When you can’t get your team to start on time consistently and players aren’t playing with any intensity, there is a problem. When the team has no structure, defensively or offensively, there is a problem. St. Louis has been letting his players play a free style of hockey, but it’s not working. They don’t yet have the firepower to compete with other teams in this style of play. More so, they don’t have any structure or discipline defensively to limit shots and chances coming back their way. St. Louis needs to find some structure within this team or nothing will change, no matter who the cast of players are.
How Long Is Martin St. Louis’ Leash
It was expected when he was first hired as the Canadiens head coach that he would lead them into the future. Now, the future is a bit more unclear. If the Canadiens can’t find their footing and finish at the bottom of the league again, they may have a new coach by season’s end. Fans have largely bought into the rebuild, but they aren’t gonna stand for much more losing. Especially in a year where there were much higher expectations, the losing is getting harder and harder to take. The big thing is that we’re not seeing growth from the team and that’s worrisome. St. Louis may also be stretching himself too thin.
He is known for being great with the young players. However, with so many young guys on the team, he might need some help. This makes his decision to not hire a power play coach all the more puzzling. After Alex Burrows’ departure, the team is without a power play coach. St. Louis has stepped into the role and the PP unit has looked better. But the Canadiens head coach might have too much to juggle and not enough help on his staff.
As the season drags on we need to see some improvement out of the team. If that isn’t the case, then we will see the leash tighten around Martin St. Louis. If St. Louis survives this campaign and the Canadiens underperform, then next season will be the head coach’s big make-or-break year. The team needs to take winning strides sooner rather than later and they can’t keep breeding the losing culture that currently surrounds the team.
Head Coaching Options for the Canadiens
With the apparent need for a bilingual coach in the city of Montreal, the head coaching options for the Canadiens become more limited. The obvious choice is Pascal Vincent who is currently coaching the Canadiens AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Vincent has head coaching experience as he coached the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. Many feel that he wasn’t given a fair chance in the disaster that was Columbus’ organization last year. He has the resume, the bilingual background, and is already within the organization. Vincent would be the logical choice as St, Louis’ successor.
There are several other French Canadian coaches out on the market as well, however. Names like Sylvain Favreau and Stephane Julien come to mind as young head coaches. The two are currently finding success coaching in the QMJHL. Or the Canadiens could look for a veteran coach like Alain Vigneault or Gerard Gallant to fill the void. The Habs hopefully will steer clear of a return to the Michel Therrien, Claude Julien carousel, however.
We know that the players love playing under Martin St. Louis. However, if he isn’t able to get the best out of his players, the team may need to go in another direction.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte – USA TODAY Sports
