It's difficult to remember a time when Martin St. Louis was the scapegoat for the Montreal Canadiens. Many questioned whether he would make it through the season when the Habs struggled earlier in the year. However, after a remarkable run in the season's second half, St. Louis' job security looks stronger than ever. The fans might now be happy with St. Louis, but that doesn't mean Kent Hughes won't have a wandering eye this offseason.
St. Louis was the perfect coach for this version of the Canadiens. He is a fresh head coach who most of the players grew up watching. They have great respect for him as a player, and he was a good message-sender for what it takes for the young players to forge a career in the NHL. If there's one complaint about St. Louis' coaching, it's that he doesn't have the on-the-job experience for in-game adjustments.
St. Louis can talk to the players for days about what it takes to be an NHL player, but you don't realize how hard in-game adjustments are until you actually put your two feet behind the bench. St. Louis has been improving over the years, but Hughes could see all the veteran experience without a contract for next season and wonder if it's time to give this team a coach who could make the difference in a playoff series.
That isn't to say that St. Louis won't be able to make a difference in the future. The issue is that Montreal has invested alot in this rebuild, and they have to be sure the right person is steering the ship. The Canadiens already had their name connected to coaches like Gerard Gallant, and now there are other unemployed coaches like John Tortorella and Mike Sullivan.
Tortorella would draw the ire of Habs media instantly upon his arrival, which could make him a bad candidate. Once a coach loses the media's vote of confidence, it's hard to get that back, and Tortorella would have no interest in trying to gain back that respect. Sullivan makes a bit more sense, and he is ready to take over a team entering their contending window instead of joining a possible rebuilding team like the Boston Bruins.