Martin St. Louis reputation speaks for itself

The Montreal Canadiens rebuild has seen general manager Kent Hughes take advantage of situations where talented players have been given up on.

Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook were two great examples of that, they had a ton of promise, but for whatever reason it didn't work for them with their former clubs. There are high hopes that both players can take off under the tutelage of St Louis. Dach has already spoken highly of his head coach, and Newhook took some positive steps last year.

With their recent addition of Patrik Laine, who has shown that he can produce points at a high level, a guy like St Louis is so important. Laine will enter next season, with the expectation that he will get back to scoring in the 40-50 goal range. If that doesn't equate to him coming out of the gates flying, having a coach who understands the intricacies of NHL hockey will be an asset to Laine and the Habs alike.

St. Louis welcomes each challenge thrown at his team and not much has changed, he was the same way during his playing days. Much like Laine, Dach and the rest of the cast - the spotlight is welcomed and not feared. For a guy like Marty to have the team's respect and be the reason players want to come to Montreal, says a lot about the kind of person he is.

In Marty they trust

For a long time, players didn't want to come to Montreal and the thought of a guy like Laine joining the Canadiens was a distant dream. Even Dach and Newhook, while they likely wouldn't have been acquired by the old management, probably wouldn't have wanted to stick around either way. Montreal has always been a hockey-crazy city, and the epitome of storied franchises, but always played second fiddle to the Floridian hockey market.

Hughes has done his best to change the tides and St. Louis teaches the game the way that he played it. It's all heart every shift and you never stop learning new ways to outwit the opposition. But Marty has a way of making each player feel like they belong, he has a way of bringing the guys together.

Expectations are certainly high, but the internal expectations don't tell much of a different story. With Laine and Kirby Dach's health holding high importance, if they can remain in the lineup, Marty could rally his troops to a surprising finish come April. For sure the team is ready to take the next step and the goal is playoff hockey, which this team is in a good place to push for a spot.

Should they get there, Marty's coaching and the players trusting in what he preaches will be a huge factor.