The Montreal Canadiens rebuild success is based on development and building chemistry.
On the ice, while the coaching is important, it's even more important to have veteran's who can keep the guys focused. Many teams have a veteran to introduce some players for the next generation, Mario Lemieux for Sidney Crosby comes to mind right away. While Super Mario hasn't ended up in a head coaching situation, he certainly helped Sid quite a bit.
If you look at the Canadiens roster, especially the past ones, say from when the Habs went to the Stanley Cup final. One thing can be said with certainty, Shea Weber and Carey Price were the team leaders, and you'd be hard-pressed to find better options for future positions off the ice with the team. Both competed their hearts out every night and carried themselves like ultimate professionals, the type of players parents would like their kids to be.
But lets discuss two options from the current Canadiens roster who would be great options for coaching roles in the future.
From Habs player to Habs coach?
If I had to pick two guys that I believe would be ideal candidates for a coaching role in the future with the Habs, two guys come to mind. Brendan Gallagher comes in right at the top because he feels like a player who gets the whole team fired up. Each shift he is willing to run through the toughest guy on the ice and do it with a smile.
But the most important thing that I feel will translate from on the ice, to a role behind the bench is the respect that he earns from everybody. Like Martin St. Louis, Gallagher battled for everything that he had earned and he never complained about his situation. If he didn't like something, he busted his butt to help the team.
Another guy, who I believe would be a great option behind the bench is David Savard, and I think he would be a great penalty kill/defensive coach. He already serves as a mentor to the Canadiens young defence corps and each guy that he has lined up with has become better for it. Because he plays the game with so much heart and helps out the team in every way he can, it feels natural that he could find a way into a coaching role after he retires.