The murmurs concerning the future of Martin St-Louis with the Montreal Canadiens are intensifying, fueled by recent analyzes from Jean-Charles Lajoie and Tony Marinaro, two influential voices in the Montreal sports sphere.
After announcing the possibility of St-Louis’ resignation a few weeks ago, Lajoie is now opening the door to a potential dismissal.
A statement which once again shakes the already fragile environment of the Habs.
With a streak of five consecutive defeats, a defensive system that leaves one perplexed, and a locker room that seems to question itself, Jean-Charles Lajoie was once again scathing towards the CH coach on TVA Sports.
According to him, the situation is clear: if St-Louis has not lost its locker room, it is obvious that its system is in question.
“The players remain behind him, but are against the plan, against the system. “This system doesn’t work, and players don’t like trying to run this system because it exposes them to errors.”declared Lajoie with his usual sharp tone.
This criticism shows an overwhelming reality: St-Louis’ defensive system, based on modern principles of puck management and rapid transition, does not seem to adapt to a team as young and inexperienced as the CH.
“This system is good for seasoned veterans, not for young people who are still making rookie mistakes”he added.
For his part, Tony Marinaro focused on another problem: the coach’s attitude and body language.
Once again last night, the cameras captured a visibly discouraged St-Louis after a penalty awarded to Jayden Struble, a moment that did not go unnoticed.
“Martin, I think he needs to improve his body language. Very often he looks discouraged, a little disappointed. We see him against the bay window, leaning over or making faces”said Marinaro.
In a league where coaches must inspire their players, this kind of behavior can be seen as a sign of weakness or lack of control.
This creates even more questions around the coach: Is St-Louis still the man for the job to guide this team in a critical phase of its reconstruction?
TVA Sports opens the door to dismissal. Here is the question of the day on the exclusive French-speaking broadcaster of the NHL and the Montreal Canadiens:
“Will St. Louis’ season continue to be long or will it end abruptly?”
The fact that TVA Sports is asking the question openly is significant.
Even The Gazette, rarely inclined to add fuel to the fire when it comes to the Canadian, is starting to wonder if Martin St-Louis is still the man for the job.
In a sharply-worded article, journalist Brendan Kelly was virulent about the shortcomings of St-Louis’ coaching, highlighting a meritocracy problem within the team:
“Under Martin St-Louis’ system, no one pays the price for anything. It’s not a meritocracy. You play badly, you get the same ice time. You play well, you get the same time You’re bad on the first wave of the power play, you still lead it, because the coach will never take advice from anyone.”
The article goes further, stating that Martin St-Louis seems to have abandoned his original philosophy of creativity to return to an ultra-safe style, reminiscent of the era of Michel Therrien and Claude Julien.
But this style doesn’t work either, and the coach, through his decisions, becomes more and more difficult to defend:
“I think his message is no longer getting across. But hey, we’ll see. This morning, they are last in the NHL standings and that wasn’t HuGo’s (Hughes-Gorton) plan. Let’s wait and see where they will be at Christmas.”
Darren Dreger’s criticism reinforces this sense of urgency. According to him, St-Louis is only targeting Arber Xhekaj and the young people without succeeding in sending a clear message to its players and especially to its veterans.
“The coach is not THE problem. But he is part of the problem.”
St-Louis, once seen as an inspiring leader and an outstanding communicator, is now seen as a coach who hands out participation medals and free apples instead of pushing his players to surpass themselves:
“I must have missed that press conference where Marty was banging heads. I only hear the ones where he’s handing out participation badges and free apples for all the kids.” writes Kelly.
These scathing criticisms do not only come from Quebec media or local supporters, but also from outside observers.
Patience is crumbling on all fronts, and even St. Louis’ most loyal allies are now struggling to defend him.
As the Canadian trails at the bottom of the standings, the message is clear: results will have to come quickly, or St. Louis’ fate will inevitably be sealed.
Fans, journalists, and even players seem to be losing confidence in his leadership. If rumors of dismissal become louder at Christmas, Kent Hughes will have to make a difficult choice: support his coach to the end or initiate a drastic change to save the season.
In the meantime, Martin St-Louis’ future remains hanging by a thread, and each defeat brings the organization one step closer to a decision that could mark the end of a chapter filled with broken promises.
If Kent Hughes has reaffirmed his support for St. Louis, Gorton seems more and more distant.
St-Louis’ “positive at all costs” approach, which sounds more like a pee-wee coach’s speech than that of an NHL coach, is starting to tire.
After all, how many times can you hear that “the intentions were there” or that “defending is a matter of attitude” before those words sound “fake”?
The discussion opened by TVA Sports and the Gazette reflects a broader feeling among fans and the media. On social networks, fans are becoming more and more virulent, criticizing not only the coach, but also the inaction of management, while Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are in hiding.
CH, a club which promised a bright future thanks to its youth, is regressing into a gray zone of frustration.
If the comments about a dismissal, the fact remains that the pressure on St-Louis is real.
Barring a spectacular turnaround, his future in Montreal could become an unavoidable subject in the coming weeks.
Martin St-Louis no longer has room for error. His body language, his tactical decisions and his press conference speech will be analyzed closely.
But the real question remains: is he still capable of uniting this group and proving that he is the man for the job?
Because in a market as demanding as that of Montreal, arrogance or discouragement are unforgiving. And if St-Louis persists in this approach, the criticisms of Lajoie and Marinaro could well become reality.
The heart of the problem lies in Martin St-Louis’ inability to maximize the potential of the young players who make up the core of this rebuild.
St. Louis’ strategic decisions, particularly on the power play, have become a subject of mockery among fans and analysts.
Why persist in entrusting the keys to the power play to an uninspired Mike Matheson, while limiting Lane Hutson to a few seconds on the ice?
Kirby Dach, placed on the main unit despite disappointing performances, only aggravates the collective frustration.
These choices reflect a fear of failure that infects the entire team. By seeking to limit errors, St-Louis breaks the offensive instinct of its players.
This results in a predictable and sterile game, as evidenced by the recent 3-0 defeat against the Minnesota Wild, where the CH generated only two shots in the first period and nine after two periods.
If the performances on the ice leave something to be desired, St-Louis’ comments at the press conference arouse even more controversy.
After the loss to the Wild, St. Louis described the game as a “close” matchup between two “well-structured” teams, adding that he was “very encouraged by the commitment of the players.”
These statements were received with astonishment by the fans, who saw nothing reassuring in a performance where the team seemed totally overwhelmed.
Patience has its limits, and fans are starting to wonder if St. Louis is capable of providing an honest diagnosis of the situation.
According to Jean-Charles Lajoie, the players remain behind St-Louis, but are increasingly disillusioned with its playing system.
The Canadian, with his youth and inexperience, does not have the tools to execute such a demanding structure. This mismatch between the coach’s expectations and the players’ abilities could explain St. Louis’ inconsistent performances and defeatist body language behind the bench.
Although Kent Hughes reiterated his support for St. Louis, rumors of a possible dismissal are beginning to circulate with insistence.
Hughes might be tempted to make a move to calm the discontent among the fans, especially if the defeats continue to pile up.
However, replacing St. Louis in the middle of a rebuild would be an admission of failure that could tarnish the general manager’s credibility.
For St. Louis, time is running out. He must quickly find solutions to rectify the situation, and that starts with a change of attitude and strategy.
Banking on players like Hutson, who embody the future of the team, rather than hanging on to ineffective veterans like Matheson, could be a first step in the right direction.
If the situation does not improve, Kent Hughes will have to answer a crucial question: Is Martin St-Louis still the right man to lead this reconstruction?
Fans, already frustrated by performances on the ice, will not long tolerate speech that seems detached from reality.
For the moment, St-Louis still benefits from some respite, but this could evaporate quickly if the results do not follow.
The moment of truth is approaching, and it will be fascinating to see if the coach, known for his charisma and hockey intelligence, can reverse the trend and regain the trust of players, fans, and journalists.
The million dollar question: will he be the coach of the Montreal Canadiens at Christmas?
To be continued…
