During the 2021-22 season, the Montreal Canadiens took a risk by naming Martin St. Louis interim head coach. They looked to the former Tampa Bay Lightning player to lead this team through a rebuild, and after their best season under St. Louis, they are likely going to look to keep him under contract for the foreseeable future.
St. Louis, after being named interim head coach, signed a contract in 2022 to be the permanent head coach. The Canadiens would exercise a two-year option in 2024, and he now has one year left on his current deal.
This week, general manager Kent Hughes met with the media to discuss a wide range of topics, and one of those was Martin St. Louis' contract. He said that while the two sides haven't discussed an extension, it is something Hughes expects to be worked on this summer.
Martin St. Louis was the perfect coach for the Montreal Canadiens and should remain in that role long-term
In the full four seasons that Martin St. Louis has been behind the bench, they have improved every season as a franchise. In his first two seasons, the Canadiens finished last in the Atlantic Division but improved from 68 points to 76.
In 2024-25, the Canadiens would make a jump to 91 points and sneak into the playoffs. Unfortunately, it was a short trip, and they would lose in five games to the Washington Capitals.
As has been the case every season, the Canadiens improved both in their regular season points to finish with 106 but made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Canadiens would struggle against the Carolina Hurricanes, but it has been a steady progression for this group under St. Louis.
Even though Martin St. Louis only finished his fourth full season as head coach, he is already the third-longest-tenured coach in the Atlantic Division, behind only the Lightning's Jon Cooper and the Panthers' Paul Maurice. At this point, an extension for St. Louis should be at the top of the to-do list for the Canadiens, and hopefully, the easiest thing for them to get done.
