Coaching is a serious problem.

[Lafleurs Guy]

Fact of the matter is that MSL sucks strategy-wise, and regularly gets out-coached. He is just not good at those important facets of the game.

But St. Louis is an amazing communicator, basically "A+" when it comes to motivating players and instituting a good locker room atmosphere. Then you add-in his amazing credibility and "relatability" as a HHOFer for players, how good he's been for PR with the Montreal media, moreso the french-speaking one, and things become clearer.

Simply put, for a rebuilding team, one that is not competing for a Stanley Cup, MSL is a heck of a good coaching candidate. Our management trusts him not to ruin young players' careers, and he'll be there to help us tide-over tough years by maintaining hope and excitement for the team (and also the goodwill of the fans). Can't really ask for more given the state that the franchise was in when Hughes and company took over.

Long story short, we stay the course and keep MSL at least one more year, maybe two. Our management maximizes value as they can in that span, maybe trades Savard at the deadline for futures, maybe sign a veteran or two come offseason, along other moves.

And when our team personnel starts getting stronger and more experienced, we probably pivot to a better "X's and 0's" coach to try and get us to win.

No clue who that would be at that point, we're still far from even being ready to truly turn that corner despite claims and assertions from our top-brass to the contrary.

For us to start competing for the Cup, and being a good-enough team to have higher aspirations, I think we'll need to wait another 2-3 years at least.

So yeah, that's how I see our rebuild unfolding.

Two possible scenarios.

1. It plays out as you’ve said here. He helps to develop players and then is replaced because he’s not a great strategic coach.

Or

2. As the team improves and gains more experience, it slowly begins to win more games and is able to better execute of MSL’s strategy. They starts making the playoffs and become contenders in the coming season D with MSL at the helm.

Both scenarios are possible. MSL has done a great job developing players. I can’t think of a player he’s done a bad job with. Is he a good strategist? It’s hard to say because his teams have been so green.

He might be a transition coach. If so, great job and glad he was here. But he may well be a good Xs and Os guy and we don’t know it yet because he hasn’t had teams that can execute.

 

[Essenege]

Doom & gloom is a bit off the chart.

We’ve seen nothing 5v5 from our first line, but they were dominant for like the last 50 games non stop last year. Only line >50% in possession playing against 1st lines every night.

Maybe we give them more then 5 games to hit their stride?

Same for Dach who missed a god damn full season.

We have been putrid 5v5 but this is all on the top 6 (and some Ds, Savard in particular). They should call up Roy to change things up. And if Matheson play I sit Savard and play Mailloux and Struble.

 

[Habs4Life]

Midget coaching at it's best. Love St.Louis but he isn't a head coach

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Maybe it would be cool if we got past the concepts stage and worked with the players to help them learn the defensive structure because everyone is lost. The numbers prove it, and yes, adding some veteran help would help, but I don't see any takers for MM until the TDL.

The Oilers would trade for Matheson like yesterday.

And I’m not dissing Scotty. Obviously a great coach. But everywhere he went there were superstars. The only team that didn’t really have the crazy talent were the Sabres and he didn’t win there.

For the most part coaches get too much credit and too much blame. There are exceptions- Therrien was exceptionally bad and Bowman exceptionally good - but by and large a great coach isn’t going to make a young team suddenly great.

Our key prospects have all improved under MSL. I can’t think of one who hasn’t. So from that perspective it’s a success and right now that’s the most important skill for a coach to have with us. Is he an Xs and Os guy? I think that’s up in the air and we’ll know better as the team mulatures and is better able to execute.

The other night for example, guys were missing passes and made idiotic plays. That’s not coaching, it’s execution.

 

[BJCOLLINS]

Easy man, take your meds, lol.

coaches are pretty safe during a rebuild.

 

[OldCraig71]

Easy man, take your meds, lol.

coaches are pretty safe during a rebuild.

I don't know who you are referring to here but I'm sure there are some here that get by daily because of meds and for many, it isn't a casual laughing matter. As far as coaches being safe or not, well, that's what a discussion board is, a place to discuss things relevant to the team.

 

[OldCraig71]

The Oilers would trade for Matheson like yesterday.

And I’m not dissing Scotty. Obviously a great coach. But everywhere he went there were superstars. The only team that didn’t really have the crazy talent were the Sabres and he didn’t win there.

For the most part coaches get too much credit and too much blame. There are exceptions- Therrien was exceptionally bad and Bowman exceptionally good - but by and large a great coach isn’t going to make a young team suddenly great.

Our key prospects have all improved under MSL. I can’t think of one who hasn’t. So from that perspective it’s a success and right now that’s the most important skill for a coach to have with us. Is he an Xs and Os guy? I think that’s up in the air and we’ll know better as the team mulatures and is better able to execute.

The other night for example, guys were missing passes and made idiotic plays. That’s not coaching, it’s execution.

I am not on the fire MSL train but I would like to see the players execute some basic defensive plays out there and there shouldn't be confusion on the ice in year 3 of a coach's tenure. Young players need more help than veterans and as for that group, they should know better. Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson should be sitting. Both of those guys are simply showing up and it has been that way for 2 years.

Last year when CD was injured we all forgot about him, that's how little impact he has provided. Anderson is another story, I have no idea what he is trying to achieve out there. Giving those two a few nights off would be one place to start because MSL has to send a message one way or another.