Montreal Canadiens: Martin St. Louis Comments Signal Long Rebuild Coming

The Montreal Canadiens are in the midst of a rebuild, of that there is no doubt. The team dropped to 32nd in the standings last year and it will take some time to dig out of that hole.

They certainly began rebuilding last season, changing the general manager and the head coach before trading away several veterans at the trade deadline.

Ben Chiarot, Tyler Toffoli, Artturi Lehkonen and Brett Kulak were all moved out for draft picks and prospects. The Habs, as any rebuilding team would want to do, added many pieces that will help the team down the line, but hurt in the present.

Canadiens will be competitive again how soon?

Of course, when a team dives into a rebuild, they run the risk of falling into such an abyss they take a long time to climb out. Just ask the Edmonton Oilers who finally found some playoff success last season after a decade – or was it more? – of rebuilding and losing.

The Canadiens made one move recently that shows they aren’t interested in just tanking and being terrible for the next few seasons. They re-signed veteran goaltender Jake Allen to a two-year contract extension with a cap his just shy of $4 million.

If the team was interested in tanking, like the Chicago Blackhawks are, then they would simply move out Allen and let Sam Montembeault split time with a veteran free agent who maybe belongs in the minor leagues. But, they chose to bring back Allen for a couple more years.

However, comments made by head coach Martin St. Louis when talking about the signing show that the team doesn’t expect to contend any time soon.

St. Louis, speaking like a true philosopher, said the team, ”needs guys who are willing to plant trees, knowing that they will never sit in the shade.”

Essentially, what he means is that the Canadiens need good veterans around to help guide the young players along, even though the team won’t be good for a few more years. However, this also kind of suggests the team doesn’t plan on being good at all for at least three more seasons.

Allen’s new contract doesn’t kick in until the 2023-24 season, so he is here until the end of the 2024-25 campaign. If the trees that have already been planted are not providing any shade by April of 2025, this team is looking at four consecutive years at the bottom of the standings.

I understand St. Louis’ analogy that leaders need to be here this season to help guys like Kaiden Guhle, Juraj Slafkovsky and Justin Barron as they get their first real taste of NHL action. But his comments suggest this rebuild is going to take at least three more years, and I don’t know if that is what Canadiens fans are hoping for.

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