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A strong blow is thrown at Kent Hughes and the Canadiens by JF Houle

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David St-Jean
July 3, 2024  (9:21 PM)
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In recent weeks, there has been a lot of movement within the Canadiens organization, mainly in Laval, and Kent Hughes has a lot on his plate.

Indeed, the general manager took a big step today by announcing the hiring of Daniel Jacob as the assistant coach for the Rocket, but he is still searching for a head coach.

Jean-François Houle left his position a few days after signing a contract extension, which undoubtedly shook the organization.

Houle recently spoke with Anthony Marcotte on BPM Sports, where he directed a pointed comment at Hughes. Clearly, he has a lot on his mind.

"I hope for the Laval fans that when the time is right, the team will bring in veterans to win the [Calder] Cup." - Jean-François Houle

Indeed, during his three seasons at the helm, Houle constantly had to develop young players, which is his primary role, but he didn't receive much help from his GM to improve the team. It seemed as though winning was secondary in the AHL.

After signing his contract, Houle saw several veterans leave Laval once again, and he likely had a "reality check" at that moment.

According to him, it's important to develop young players, but also to win.

"That's part of the American League. Other teams too... It's important to develop for an organization. You want players to have a chance to play in the NHL, and if you focus solely on winning in the AHL, maybe some players won't develop as quickly or as well. It's important to have a good balance between winning and development." - Jean-François Houle

He understands that there will always be many young players, but he laments the lack of good veterans, which made his job difficult. After all, regardless of the league, everyone likes to win.

When we look at the Hershey Bears, who just won the Calder Cup in the AHL, it's clear that their team included many veterans.

However, if I may, the prospect pool in Washington is much less deep than that of the Canadiens. It's great to win in the AHL, but if the team is made up of players who won't skate in the NHL, what's the point?

POLL

Do you think Kent Hughes has the right approach to help the Rocket be competitive?

Yes22488.9 %
No2811.1 %
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