Yesterday, the day after a fourth consecutive defeat, the Montreal Canadiens returned to training in an obvious climate of frustration.
The situation of the team, its management choices and the hopes constantly tossed between Montreal, Laval and sometimes even Europe, are at the heart of the criticism.
The voices of Martin McGuire and Dany Dubé were raised at the microphone of Mario Langlois, in the show Sports fansto put the entire Canadian organization through the twister.
According to Dubé, the real problem lies in the team’s inability to “make its bed” with certain players and provide the stability necessary for a group in the process of rebuilding.
“We’re playing yo-yo with our young people, and that’s the worst thing for a team looking for stability. »
The constant comings and goings of players like Oliver Kappanen, who returned to Sweden even though his contract prohibited him from going to Laval, testify to chaotic development planning.
As Martin McGuire states:
“In an ideal world, Kapanen would have gone to Laval, but that was not possible. »
These decisions are not only frustrating for players, but they also send a confusing message to fans.
Antoine Roussel, also a guest on the show, did not fail to criticize the team’s summer management.
“I hope that next year we will have a better summer than we had. Because the summer we had recently: they put smoke and mirrors into people’s eyes, thinking with magical thinking that the team was going to be better. »
Words that resonate loudly as fans realize, once again, that a difficult season lies ahead.
The figure of Martin St-Louis, head coach of the Canadiens, is also in question. His omnipresence and post-match habits are increasingly criticized.
St-Louis, often described as a coach close to his young people, nevertheless seems to hesitate in his decisions, in particular concerning the position of Kirby Dach, still undecided between center and winger.
This uncertainty adds a layer of instability to the group, a criticism that seems more and more justified as the team’s struggles on the ice progress.
Once again, we’re playing yo-yo.
For Dany Dubé, rebuilding the team requires clear choices and a solid guideline, otherwise the Canadiens risk “losing players playing yo-yo with everyone.”
This blunt message from McGuire and Dubé is not only an observation of the team’s current difficulties; it is a cry of alarm in the face of an organization that seems to be collapsing in its strategy, leaving hopes and supporters waiting for a true vision for the future.
The Montreal Canadiens organization must stop “playing yo-yo” with its young talents and finally find stability to build a more solid future.
At the heart of this media storm, Martin St-Louis and his leaders are confronted with a cruel reality. The honeymoon is well and truly over and difficult choices will arrive. Not only for the rest of the season, but also the future of the club.
In our opinion, only one avenue is possible: the dismissal of Martin St-Louis.
The pressure is growing day by day for the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, while the voices of 98.5 Sports are becoming more and more insistent in demanding change.
After a fourth defeat in a row, doubts about his ability to lead the team to success are becoming difficult to ignore.
Some commentators no longer hesitate to openly suggest that St-Louis might no longer be the man for the job.
In the latest edition of the show Sort the zonehosted by Jérémie Rainville and bringing together Stéphane Waite, Richard Labbé and Simon-Olivier Lorange, the question of the fate of St-Louis was on everyone’s lips.
While the team seems to be losing its bearings, deep questions emerge about the direction and coherence of this reconstruction phase.
Young talents, often tossed between Montreal, Laval and their original clubs, struggle to find stability which would nevertheless be crucial for their development.
The Canadiens’ recent difficulties, marked by a series of defeats that left a bitter taste, have led many to wonder if the head coach is not getting too involved in the daily management of his young players.
He doesn’t delegate, he is too close to them…he is not a coach, but another player in the room.
Throughout the discussion, Stéphane Waite and the speakers from Sort the zone raised another issue: the apparent sacrifice of the attack to strengthen the defense.
This strategy, which seems to have its limits, weighs heavily on the team’s performance without bringing results.
We were bad defensively. Now we are bad defensively and offensively.
In a context where only one injured player – Patrik Laine – has yet to play, the Canadiens are nevertheless posting one of their worst starts to the season since the arrival of Martin St-Louis, amplifying the criticism.
Supporters, too, are beginning to lose patience with promises of renewal that are struggling to materialize.
At 98.5 Sports, the idea of firing Martin St-Louis no longer seems as taboo as it did at the start of the season.
Influential figures in the sporting world are publicly questioning his future, and the idea of a change behind the bench could quickly become a seriously considered option.
As an organization seeks stability and consistency, the pressure to achieve results has never been greater.
For Martin St-Louis, time is running out, and a quick reaction could well be the only way to calm the storm brewing around the Habs.
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports and Eric Engels of Sportsnet say the St-Louis position is not in danger. All right. But don’t forget. The two informants are very close to the coach, as if they were their friend.
Exactly like St-Louis and its players.
Too close to them emotionally…to be a real NHL coach.
