Habs Mailbag: Canadiens could use some coaching help with defence

Ought to the Habs rent a defensive coach like Claude Julien? Let Martin St. Louis deal with the offence and have somebody like Julien deal with the defensive facet?

Armchair GM on X — @HabschairGM

Sure.

I used to be stunned the Canadiens didn’t rent a coach with NHL expertise to switch Alex Burrows after he stepped down from his position as an assistant coach this summer season. St. Louis had zero NHL teaching expertise when the Canadiens employed him and admits he’s nonetheless studying on the job. An skilled, defensive-minded coach like Julien might positively assist, particularly with the Canadiens struggling in their very own finish with their hybrid defensive-zone system.

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The St. Louis Blues employed Julien as an assistant coach this summer season to assist head coach Drew Bannister, who was employed final season to switch Craig Berube. Bannister has solely 62 video games of NHL head-coaching expertise, however he was a head coach within the OHL for 3 seasons with the Soo Greyhounds and was additionally a head coach for 5 seasons within the AHL with the San Antonio Rampage and Springfield Thunderbirds earlier than being employed by the Blues.

The Blues, who will play the Canadiens Saturday on the Bell Centre (7 p.m., Citytv, SNE, TVA Sports activities), have a 5-3-0 report and a plus-3 aim differential. The Canadiens are 2-4-1 with a minus-10 aim differential.

At what level within the rebuild do the Habs commerce a few of these prospects for legit NHL gamers? You’ll be able to have too many prospects, no? You solely have 50 contracts.

Dartmouth boy on X — @bogtrottr

Jeff Gorton, the manager vice-president of hockey operations, was requested about this when he was a visitor on Mitch Melnick’s TSN 690 Radio present this month and famous the Canadiens want to be “within the combine” for the playoffs this season and ready to be patrons as a substitute of sellers on the commerce deadline.

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“I feel the staff, how they play over the subsequent a number of months, will dictate that,” Gorton mentioned. “However, for positive, we’re not towards including gamers that may assist us. Nevertheless it probably is just not going to be short-term rental kind of factor. We’re not going to commerce younger gamers or draft picks for a short-term repair. That’s simply not a part of our plan.

“I feel you’ll be able to see that in the event you look with the draft picks we’ve acquired for the subsequent a number of years, we’ve got a few first rounds once more (subsequent yr), second, third,” Gorton added. “I feel it’s unrealistic to assume over the subsequent three years that we’re going to make use of all these draft picks on 18-year-old youngsters. However we’ll be utilizing them to amass different varieties of gamers which can be perhaps additional superior. Yeah, we’ll positively be in these kind of conversations.”

Has Cayden Primeau had sufficient time? Is it time to surrender on him and convey up Jakub Dobes from the Laval Rocket? Primeau seems to be very shaky and sub-par.

LMayo on X — @lmayo

Primeau has now performed in 47 profession NHL video games and has an 11-22-7 report with a 3.52 goals-against common and a .893 save share. In three video games this season, the 25-year-old has a 0-1-1 report with a 4.21 GAA and a .880 save share. Personally, I’ve seen sufficient of Primeau to doubt he’ll develop right into a legit NHL goalie. He lacks consistency and in addition appears to lack confidence with a nasty behavior of typically wanting behind him after he makes a save. He additionally loses his web very often. However GM Kent Hughes has confidence in Primeau, which is why he didn’t ship him to Laval final season for worry of shedding the goalie to a different staff on waivers. Primeau must clear waivers once more this season if the Canadiens need to ship him down and name up Dobes. Will probably be fascinating to see how lengthy Hughes is keen to stay affected person with Primeau.

A really fundamental query: when enjoying at dwelling, how do the Habs determine if the sport day skate takes place in Brossard or on the Bell Centre?

Chris Walker on X (@ChrisWalker1964)

St. Louis made the choice two seasons in the past that every one morning skates on sport days could be held on the Bell Centre as a substitute of in Brossard, like that they had been because the staff’s follow facility opened in 2008. It is sensible since nearly all of the gamers now dwell within the downtown space and it cuts down on the commute over the Champlain Bridge on sport day. It additionally helps the gamers — particularly the youthful ones — really feel extra snug within the Bell Centre surroundings.

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