In an interview at the Montreal Canadiens annual preseason golf tournament, Geoff Molson stated that he was surprised how the fans wanted a rebuild.
#Habs owner Geoff Molson says the biggest thing he learned from having to go through a full rebuild is how badly the fanbase wanted it to happen. Molson admits he was nervous to do a teardown not knowing what the reaction of the fans would be.
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) September 16, 2024
The goal is always to make the playoffs and compete for a Stanley Cup, it’s the reason why every NHL player battles so hard to get to the league. But playing for a team that continually misses out on the playoffs or struggles to fight deep into later rounds isn’t easier to deal with. So, the Canadiens playing in the Stanley Cup final in 2021 was great, but it was a one-and-done.
Simply put, the Canadiens made some tremendous noise en route to a Stanley Cup finals berth but fell off a cliff afterwards. Should they have any hopes of getting back there, trading away veterans and getting younger was the smartest route. Enter Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, who have revamped the roster, shipping out veterans and players ready to compete to acquire draft capital and younger players to facilitate a complete teardown.
It’s a longer process than simply adding pieces and trying to be competitive right away. But the long-term results will outweigh the short-term, short-lived success of quick fixes.
Patience will pay off
Hughes and Gorton have now three drafts under their belts and internal hope and expectations are quite high. Some may believe that the Habs are still a season or two away from making the playoffs and, perhaps longer before causing a ruckus. But the belief in the locker room seems to be that this current team can shock a lot of people.
The fanbase has high hopes and even higher levels of passion for their beloved Canadiens, so understandably Molson should be surprised that a rebuild was welcomed. But at the same time, the Habs’ brass understands that if the team is going to climb into a window of contention, then patience to build a strong, competitive roster is necessary. It’s been welcomed with open arms and fans believe that Hughes and Gorton have pieced together a roster that will bring hope and excitement to the Bell Centre for years to come.
Even if that means they don’t compete in the playoffs this season, it at least ensures that the team will be competitive for more than just one playoff run. Patience is a virtue, and while it’s a hard one to employ, it will be worth it in the end when the group is ready to compete. A cohesive, motivated roster will be all the difference in how far the team goes and for how long they remain a contender.