Can we help Caufield and Suzuki?

Good. Martin St-Louis retains the same optimism.

Perfect ! The coach will not come in front of the microphones to throw poison arrows in the direction of some of his skaters, I am thinking of those who have no impact on his young team, there are too many of them at present.

It is a choice that must be respected.

One might even add that it makes sense. Sometimes, I admit, you can wonder, especially when the coach, after a 7-2 defeat, underlines: “I really liked the way we competed in the first period. »

And the second ? “Too many penalties. »

And the third? “I think we ran out of gas. »

The coach is careful not to raise his voice. As a proud competitor, don’t make me believe that, sometimes behind the bench, he doesn’t grit his teeth.

Especially when you look at the team’s roadmap since the beginning of December. Two small victories. An offense that has been unable to produce more than two regular goals in the last 10 games.

An indiscipline that comes to screw up moments that promise to be interesting.

After the game against Florida, there was a lot of emphasis on the fact that the Canadian had finally scored on the power play and that in reality Radko Gudas had just left the penalty box when the Habs finished their attack with a another goal.

Is this a glimmer of hope? Let the next matches provide an answer.

not fancy

Remain that the special units, it will be agreed, it is not chic at all.

No doubt the absence of David Savard explains in some way the results in numerical inferiority. But is this really the only explanation?

In numerical superiority, the duo Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki no longer produces. However, he had accustomed us to spectacular performances, to unexpected comebacks. For ten games, it’s been a real nightmare for the two young skaters. Two points for Suzuki in ten games. Three goals for Caufield.

“It happens during a season that a team goes through a difficult period. This is our case right now,” continues St-Louis.

Very just. All the teams live the experience of a period when nothing is going well. In short, everything is crooked.

A question of talent?

The coach can’t help it. He has to make do with the manpower that is provided to him. Caufield and Suzuki would need a boost.

They would need their attacking teammates to give them the opportunity to take a deep breath and regain their momentum from the first two months of the schedule.

But that doesn’t happen.

A question of talent? Absolutely. Why do you think this team was asked to choose the first player at the 2022 auction? Because she tumbled into mediocrity.

The former administrators left an interesting legacy at the level of young skaters. It is undeniable that this formation will rely on a high caliber defensive brigade over the next few years. But until we reap the dividends of a solid development program, it will take a few years.

And let’s not forget that in the legacy left by the ex-leaders were hidden very bad surprises.

The equation no longer works

When you get the first choice of the 2022 selection, but on the other hand you occupy the first or second rank in terms of financial commitments, the equation no longer works. And to put the organization back on track, Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes will have to play the magicians. The next few months should provide them with business opportunities to make workforce decisions.

For now, we have to wait and hope that someone will come knocking on the door to inquire about the status of certain skaters. On the other hand, Hughes will have to be a good negotiator, and behind the scenes of the league, he was quick to attract attention because there are several contracts worth more than three million dollars. However, in the column of goals and points, it is bankruptcy. This explains why Caufield and Suzuki, in the difficult times they are currently going through, do not get any support.

What is the plan for Lafrenière?

It is often said that drafting is not an exact science.

Take the one where the New York Rangers claimed forward Alexis Lafrenière as their very first pick of the year 2020.

Thursday evening, he found himself on the press gallery.

“His game is sometimes very good, but sometimes his game is disappointing,” explained Gerard Gallant.

Maybe the coach didn’t give Lafrenière the chance to show his talent. Maybe the Rangers who want to make him a power forward are on the wrong track. In the junior ranks, wasn’t he an exceptional passer?

The Hawks and Gorton?

Anyway, what are the Rangers’ intentions regarding Lafrenière? Could he be a name that will be heard in the rumors about a possible transfer? Could he interest the Chicago Blackhawks, since the Rangers covet Patrick Kane?

How did the head of the hockey sector at the Canadiens, Jeff Gorton, react when he learned that Lafrenière had been left out by the Rangers? Isn’t he the one who claimed the young man in 2020, when he was the general manager of the team?