So, dear hockey fans, do you smell that smell? Yes, that one, the smell of a locker room where everything is not quite as it should be.
This time, it’s happening in Laval. The target of the day? Luke Tuch, a player who, at the time of his draft, was sold as a future pillar of the Canadiens.
Today, he is more of a pillar of the bench. And not just because he’s heating up the gallery.
Pascal Vincent, head coach of the Rocket, obviously decided that it was time to make a shocking statement. A statement that, usually, you keep for a disillusioned veteran in the NHL, not for a young prospect lost in the American League.
Imagine the scene. Luke Tuch, sitting there in the locker room, learns that he’s a « healthy scratch ».
Yes, healthy, because his health has nothing to do with it. It’s just that he’s not good enough to play.
And as if that wasn’t enough, his coach puts it all in front of the media: “He moved away from his identity. »
Nothing less. Can you imagine a coach telling you that? Translation : “We don’t even know what kind of player you are anymore. »
Add to that the magic words: questionable puck management, too many turnovers, need to find your true nature.
Oh yes, because it seems that before, he had an identity. Something physical, efficient, a guy who played simple.
Now it’s a mystery. Tuch is a player in the midst of an existential crisis and, clearly, Pascal Vincent has decided to throw him under the bus to give him a chance to think.
But here, let’s be clear: it doesn’t just smell like a coach’s frustration. It smells like the end of the journey. The guy was drafted in the second round, 47th overall, in 2020.
We are talking about the same vintage where Kaiden Guhle arrived in the first round, solid as a rock. And then, in the same vintage, we decided to bet on Tuch.
You see, players like Will Cuylle and Alex Laferrière, drafted after him, are already having fun at the NHL pace.
Meanwhile, Luke Tuch offers a discreet performance: 4 goals, 4 assists in 21 games. Yes, 8 points.
And that’s not all. You know what makes it even tastier? When you look at Tuch’s past.
At Boston University, he never scored more than 10 goals in a season. His best year? 30 points in 39 games.
OK, but nothing that warrants a second-round pick. And yet, the Canadian decided to bet on him, maybe thinking he was the next Tom Wilson or something like that. Spoiler alert: he’s not.
So there we arrive at this delicious moment where you say to yourself: but why did Pascal Vincent feel the need to put this out in the media?
Because there are things you say in private, in the comfort of your office. But no. He decided to send a public message.
And the message is clear: “If you don’t change soon, you’re finished.” » And this is where we wonder if Tuch is still recoverable.
Because a young player who loses confidence quickly becomes a slippery slope. And when your coach says you’ve lost your identity, that’s not the kind of comment that gives you a boost.
If you can’t earn a regular spot on an American League team, good luck making the jump to the NHL.
It’s not mean, it’s just reality. And with choices made that year in the same round like JJ Peterka or Émile Heineman, who are already performing much better than Tuch -, we can’t help but wonder what they saw in him.
So there you have it, Luke Tuch is now in a position where he must either rise from the ashes or end up in professional hockey limbo.
We’re talking about a guy who, at best, could become a depth player.
But right now, he doesn’t even seem capable of rising to that level.
Meanwhile, Pascal Vincent can rub his hands: he sent a clear message not only to Tuch, but to the entire locker room.
If you don’t play well, you are replaceable. Even in a league where the main goal is to develop talent, this kind of message hits home.
Will this crisis motivate Tuch? Maybe. But one thing is certain: if you are a hopeful and your coach publicly says that you have no identity, it may be time to reconsider your future.
Because the National League is a dream, but for Luke Tuch, it’s starting to look like a dream that’s fading away.
Crisis, you say? Yes, and not just in the locker room.
Misery!
