Martin St-Louis finds himself in a situation that is both complex and paradoxical.
Visibly moved by Patrik Laine’s injury, you can practically feel relief when he speaks.
Indeed, with this injury, St-Louis finds itself without the pressure of absolutely having to lead its team to the playoffs, a burden that weighs heavily in a city where hockey is almost a religion.
The media say today that the CH will still arrive in the cellar. And this, even if Kirby Dach is back. And above all, even if Patrik Laine was not even a member of the CH before the end of the summer.
For St-Louis, this situation allows it to breathe a little. Expectations surrounding the Canadian were already low this season, with most experts predicting another bottom line for the team.
But the loss of Laine now gives him every excuse in the world to fail this year, an opportunity to continue “rebuilding” without the immediate pressure to succeed.
In other words, St. Louis can play the time card, and enjoy a season where expectations are almost non-existent.
Behind this apparent serenity lies another reality.
St. Louis’ relief is temporary, as the leeway afforded to it could quickly collapse.
Influential media outlets like La Presse and 98.5 FM have already begun to speculate on its future.
Richard Labbé and Alexandre Pratt even estimate that St-Louis will probably leave the CH within two years, despite his contract in force until 2027.
This climate of uncertainty only fuels rumors of a potential dismissal if the team does not show clear signs of progress.
The honeymoon that surrounded the arrival of St-Louis at the helm of the team seems well and truly over. His performance as a legendary player has not yet translated into success as a coach, and fans and journalists alike will begin to grow impatient this season.
If the St-Louis contract provides him with a certain financial security, the question remains: how long will he be able to maintain his position if the results do not follow?
Laine’s injury, combined with another season at the bottom of the rankings, could give St. Louis some relief, but that excuse can’t last forever.
The 2025-2026 season will be crucial, as expectations will begin to skyrocket as the team nears the end of the rebuild.
At that point, St-Louis will have to prove that he is the man for the job, capable of transforming a team in difficulty into a real competitive team.
Although St. Louis remains optimistic, encouraging its players to believe in their abilities, the reality is that its destiny is tied to the team’s performance.
He no longer has the excuse of reconstruction which has protected him until now. The lack of significant progress could soon turn things upside down, and his future could be in the balance faster than he realizes.
The internal pressure is increasing, especially after the statements of captain Nick Suzuki, who affirmed that the team was ready to win.
With such a statement, Suzuki may have unintentionally put his coach in an awkward position. The challenge for St. Louis is no longer just developing young talent, but transforming this team into a true playoff contender.
If St-Louis fails to meet this challenge in the coming years, it could well be forced to leave Montreal.
Martin St-Louis finds himself at a crossroads in his coaching career. The relief that Laine’s injury brings is temporary, because eventually, he will have to prove that he can take this team forward.
The current season gives him a little respite, but from 2025, expectations will be clear: we will have to win, and quickly. Without significant improvement, his future in Montreal could be more uncertain than ever.
Nick Suzuki’s comments posed a real challenge to Martin St-Louis and placed the coach under considerable pressure this summer.
Suzuki, by publicly declaring that the team is ready to win, has unintentionally raised the expectations around the head coach.
This bold statement, coming from a respected leader, completely changed the atmosphere around St. Louis.
“Adding Patrik shows that management is ready to start winning. We are ready, and obviously the fans are ready too,” Suzuki said.
These words are loaded with meaning, because they no longer leave room for excuses linked to reconstruction. Patrik Laine’s injury just gave St. Louis another reprieve.
Yet the mainstream media does not share this long-term optimism about St. Louis. The fact that several influential journalists from La Presse and 98.5 FM, notably Richard Labbé and Alexandre Pratt, believe that St-Louis will no longer be the coach of the Canadian when the time comes to win the Stanley Cup, is significant.
This prediction is an obvious criticism of his ability to transform the team into a winning formation.
In other words, even if St. Louis is capable of moving the team forward in the individual development phases, many doubt his ability to lead a winning team ready to go all the way.
Is it really possible to have a winning long-term vision when thinking about St. Louis?
With the addition of Patrik Laine to the roster, it’s clear that general manager Kent Hughes was looking to accelerate the team’s progression curve.
This sent a clear message: CH is no longer just in a reconstruction phase, it is preparing to compete with the best teams in the league. Too bad St-Louis is being offered another crutch.
The crutch of patience.
As if Patrik Laine’s crutches had become his.
The media, which has long been patient with St-Louis, is beginning to question his abilities as a leader.
The honeymoon is well and truly over, and the criticism will be felt more and more.
Even though St. Louis has benefited from some leniency thus far, particularly due to the low expectations associated with a rebuilding team, he must help the team improve this year.
The team’s inconsistent performance during training camp, combined with a lack of progress in key areas like the power play, is fueling doubts.
We are going to go even further. The numerical advantage is not progressing. He is regressing.
Even the most cautious observers, like Jean-François Chaumont of the NHL site, wonder if St-Louis will be able to lead this team to real success.
Patrik Laine’s recent injury took some immediate pressure off St. Louis, but will not be enough to prolong the media immunity he has enjoyed.
If qualifying St. Louis does not show significant progress, his future as head coach of the Canadiens could be in jeopardy,
Critics of his strategic choices, particularly in the numerical advantage, are increasingly numerous. Alex Burrows will no longer be the scapegoat: from now on, it is St. Louis who will have to answer for the team’s chronic ineffectiveness in this area.
If journalists from La Presse and 98.5 FM predict that he will no longer be at the helm of the team when it is ready to win the Stanley Cup, this shows to what extent confidence in him is crumbling. .
It’s no longer a simple question of development: the time has come to prove that he can transform this team into a real contender for major honors.
If St-Louis fails, the media and fans will be there to remind us that the CH perhaps needs another leader to achieve its objectives.
After all, Patrick Roy’s contract with the Islanders ends in 2026.
