Craig Button explains why CH has an advantage over other rebuilding teams
For the first time in their rich history, the Montreal Canadiens have engaged in a true reconstruction, a process often unprecedented for such a prestigious organization.
Usually focused on a culture of quick victory, the Habs have chosen to focus on long-term development, a decision which marks a strategic turning point. Under the direction of the General Manager Kent Hughes and the vice-president Jeff Gortonthe team has adopted an approach focused on the draft, the acquisition of promising young talents and the patience necessary to build a sustainably competitive team.
Players like Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovský, et Ivan Demidov embody the future of the franchise, to name just a few.
If the team now has a solid foundation to build a winning team, the key to success is through Jeff Gorton.
Here is what CraigButton had to say about this on the airwaves of Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro.
If you walk into a locker room, and you ask who wants to win? Everyone raises their hands. Everyone wants to win. If you say who is willing to pay the price to win, everyone stands up. Everyone. The third question is the most important. And that’s where Kent is trying to take the team, individually and collectively, as Martin St. Louis and Jeff Gordon are doing.
What is the price? They don’t know it yet. Tony, when you’re in elementary school math class and you learn simple math and subtraction and then they move on to multiplication, they don’t always give you addition or subtraction problems. They increased the level. They said, okay, now you have to do the multiplication tables and you have to do the division tables. And that’s how we learn. They didn’t let you do the additions and subtractions. And it’s the same thing here. It’s about moving players along the path. We did not present the calculation to them.
In fourth grade, you waited until they mastered multiplication and subtraction. Then you did ratios and everything else.
It’s the same thing with a hockey team and hockey players. That’s why I think it’s a stupid comment. ”Oh, they’re going to give up a fifth pick. They’re not going to have a choice among the top five.” (speaking of the CH which is moving up in the rankings)
It’s stupid. These are people who don’t understand. And the key thing here, here’s the most important thing that I think is the key here. Jeff Gordon knows. Jeff Gordon lived it.
How many people, like I’m sitting here and this is the reality. Kyle Davidson is trying to rebuild Chicago. Mike Greer is trying to rebuild in San Jose. Kevin Adams is trying to rebuild in Buffalo. None of them have ever done any construction. None of them have ever done any construction. Jeff Gordon did it in Boston. He did it with the New York Rangers. He comes here ready to do it. And I love Mike Greer. I love Kevin Adams. I think Kyle Davidson is good. They have no construction experience, and now they’re going to rebuild? All right. All I tell them is I hope you can do it because it’s something you’ve never done.