St. Louis’ Most Questionable Deployment Moves
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In today’s edition, we take a look at Martin St. Louis’ most questionable deployment moves, potential trade fits for Jake Allen, and wh the club is taking their time with trades.
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Canadiens Coach St. Louis’ Most Questionable Deployment Moves
December 4, 2023 by Ryan Szporer
No one is perfect and no one should expect Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis to be. It’s easy to lose sight of how the Habs as a whole aren’t just under the gun with all the injuries they’ve been sustaining the last couple of seasons, but St. Louis is specifically as they severely limit his lineup options.
So, understandably, almost justifiably, a few of St. Louis’ deployment decisions won’t work. However, that doesn’t mean fans should blindly accept all his coaching moves as gold. Look at it this way: General manager Kent Hughes has come under fire for a few of his high-profile draft choices in a short time. However, no one realistically knows how those prospects will pan out so soon.
In comparison, it’s easier to tell in the moment if decisions made by St. Louis won’t work and even that they don’t in real time. Again, to reiterate, no one’s perfect. Even the smartest hockey minds make mistakes. These are arguably St. Louis’ biggest, ranked in increasing order of significance, so far this 2023-24 season:
Canadiens’ Jake Allen Named Good Potential Trade Fit for 2 Teams
December 4, 2023 Michael DeRosa
Now that the Montreal Canadiens have signed Sam Montembeault to a contract extension, fellow goaltender Jake Allen is a player to watch very closely in trade chatter. He has been generating buzz in the rumor mill since the start of the season, but now signs are pointing to him potentially being the odd man out in Montreal.
In a recent article for The Athletic, staff writer Jesse Granger discussed which teams need goaltenders and which trade candidates would be good fits for each of those clubs (from ‘NHL trade board matchmaking: Which teams need a goalie, and who might fit where?’, The Athletic, 12/4/2023). Without any surprise, Allen was discussed in this piece, and Granger views the veteran netminder as a good fit for two teams. Let’s discuss them now.
Canadiens Patiently Waiting to Sell Top Trade Assets
December 2, 2023 by Blain Potvin
The Montreal Canadiens 2023-24 season has had its share of ups and downs. While some fans want them to make moves to help get them into a playoff position, team management is asking for them to remain patient during the rebuild.
As the rebuild continues, there are still significant needs to be met in the Canadiens system. Montreal has several players who are drawing interest from other teams. Some could net general manager (GM) Kent Hughes a significant return, while others would open up cap space and roster positions.