Have the Montreal Canadiens Lost Touch with the Fans? - Part II

by Willey

In part one of my series on how the Canadiens have lost touch with their fans, I discussed the serious issue of the frequent turn over at the coaching position. As I had mentioned, it is but one measly issue out of many which plague the Montreal Canadiens.

The lack of a stable coach for more than a 230 consecutive game stretch has its issues, but a coach can only be given so much of the blame for the on ice problems. A coach must be given the assets necessary to succeed, with personnel who can compete at the NHL level in positions in which they are accustomed.

I continue my assault on the Bleu Blanc Rouge with a look at the pro development; or should I say lack there of.


Player Development

Many harp on the fact that our head of amateur scouting, Trevor Timmins, has failed to land us that proverbial big, power forward a la Ryan Getzlaf of Jeff Carter.

Since June of 2003—basically when Bob Gainey took the helm as General Manager—the Montreal Canadiens have drafted a total of 60 players of which 14 are NHL regulars. Approximately five of those 60 players appear to be, dare I say, blue-chip prospects.

Despite what many think, the Habs' success rate of converting drafted players into NHL players is among the best in the league. Where this organization receives a giant red "fail" stamp is in how those players were developed.

Yes 14 are regulars in this league but 10 of them are no longer with the Canadiens. That’s right folks; only Carey Price, Andrei Kostitsyn, P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty were drafted by and continue to play for the Montreal Canadiens.

So what went wrong?

I firmly believe that the issue at hand can be traced to three factors:

First, the coaching carousel, which was mentioned in the part one of this series; with a constant change of the coach both at the NHL and AHL level the team is continuously changing their style of play. The second factor is that often, when a player is recalled from Hamilton, they are not being placed in a position to succeed. Third, is that players are often being rushed to the NHL because of gaping holes on the big club.


Coaching

As mentioned earlier, teams that have the most success at the NHL level generally show continuity. NHL players will tell you that familiarity with a system, with a coach and with teammates is what ultimately leads to victories.

When you face a complete roster turnover, a change at the coaching helm every season and a half and the constant juggling of lines, a player begins to over-think what is expected of him rather than just reacting naturally on the ice.

Hockey is a quick sport that requires an individual to read and react. When a player is forced to think rather than to rely on his habits, that lost split second can mean the difference between a perfect pass and a turnover.

If a player knows what to expect and what is expected of him, based on a continuity throughout the organization, then his job is that much easier on the ice.


A Position to Succeed

How many times do we have to be witness to a player being used in situations which they are uncomfortable with?

This team has been plagued with this sort of disastrous utilization of players for as long as I can remember, from Terry Ryan and Scott Thornton to Peter Popovic.

Personally, I follow a simple philosophy that a third line player is a third line and nothing more.

What I mean by this is simple.

If Andrei Kostitsyn, for instance, is a first line winger who gets injured then in my books the alternative is to play either another top winger in his place, or send a call to Hamilton to recall a player of similar ability.

This is a simple philosophy which allows players to maintain a similar requirement on the ice. If your job is to score then try to score, but if you job is to create momentum and energy then go out and create momentum and energy. Allow a player to do what got him to the NHL in the first place.

This philosophy, unfortunately, seems impossible with my beloved Canadiens.

When my team lacks a second line left winger whose responsibility is to put the puck in the net, they ultimately insert a player along the lines of Mathieu Darche, Travis Moen or Tom Pyatt. Players who lack the scoring ability to be elite players and who lack the ability to finish.

This grave injustice is particularly evident when it comes to the NHL rookies.

In the past two seasons Sergei Kostitsyn and Lars Eller are perhaps two of the most gifted offensive talents to lace up for the team. Sergei lit up the OHL with London while Eller performed well in the Swedish Elite League before finally being named to the All-Rookie team in the AHL last season—his first in North America.

In Montreal however, they are both borderline NHLers who are placed on checking and/or energy lines with players who lack the offensive flare that they possess. When they do not produce with the limited ice time they are given they are chastised, sent to the press box and then often times sent packing.

This is not how you help a player to succeed.


Rush to the NHL

I hate to always go back to the same team, but the Detroit Red Wings are one of the best run organizations in the NHL. They maintain continuity in the organization, always place their players in a position where they can succeed and recall their players only once they have spent considerable time in the AHL, where they learn the Wings system.

Apart from the select few superstars like Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Lidstrom, the Wings require players to learn their ways at the minor league level. Players like Vattern Fipple, Niklas Cornwall, Jurri Huddler, Darren Helm, Jonathan Erickson, Jimmy Howard, despite their offensive abilities have spent a minimum of one full season in the AHL. They are asked to take things slow, learn the system and then ultimately make the big leap two or three years later.

In Montreal this is not always the case.

Many of the highly touted prospects like Guillaume Latendresse, Carey Price, and Max Pacioretty are asked to be NHL players well before they know what it is like to be a pro-athlete.

I understand that the NHL is a business that has a “what have you done for me lately” mentality. As such there can be pressure to produce immediate results, often at the expense of long term gain. But at some point a team president or General Manager needs to put his foot down and insist that a player be brought along slowly.

Some of these young prospects and just not able to make the quick jump to the NHL.

Allow a power forward to put muscle mass on his body, learn a system and compete against men. Allow a European forward to get accustomed to the North American style without the pressure of having to score 20 goals in his first year. It's what is often best for the player, best for the team and best for the long term success of the organization.

This is but the tip of the iceberg my friends.

Coaching and player development are simply two of the issues which this team needs to address if they are to regain their position as the model of success in the NHL.


Stay tuned for:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

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Willey was the shinning light among the wicked growing up as the lone Habs fan in Toronto. Pray to Holy Ghosts of the old forum and all shall be answered I was told, and just like that my family was transferred back to Montreal and away from the damned. Olé Olé Olé.

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