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Luke Richardson would be the perfect candidate for the Canadiens

 Marc-Olivier Cook
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Luke Richardson would be the perfect candidate for the Canadiens
Credit: Getty Images

It’s amazing how quickly life changes.

Yesterday, Luke Richardson was the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks… And today, he’s out of a job.

He was fired by the Hawks in the last hour:

Obviously, you never wish a person to lose their job.

It’s part of life… But it’s never pleasant.

That said, the timing of this news is interesting because in Montreal, there’s a glaring lack of experience behind the bench.

So why wouldn’t the Canadiens call him up?

Luke Richardson would be the perfect candidate for the Canadiens. Because there are some pretty logical arguments.

He has over 10 seasons of NHL coaching experience (eight in Montreal as an assistant and two and a half in Chicago as head coach), he knows the Montreal market because he’s already worked for the Canadiens, he’s already played with Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier in Tampa Bay…

But above all, we’re talking about a coach who is renowned for his work on the defensive end.

And we know that the Habs have been struggling in this area for the past few seasons.

The team is still rebuilding, but even so, the Habs are the 3rd club to have allowed the most goals since the start of the campaign, and they also have the second-worst differential in the NHL.

Things aren’t going well defensively, to put it another way.

At the same time, perhaps having an experienced coach like Richardson would also allow the young defensemen to progress better.

I’m not saying Stéphane Robidas doesn’t know how to do his job… But the difference is that Richardson has spent several seasons in that role.

And with the Habs’ young defense, I like the idea of having a guy who can guide these youngsters with his experience.

That’s something to keep an eye on, and what’s interesting is that Richardson’s contract with the Hawks expires at the end of this season.

It’s rare for head coaches to become assistants before the end of their contract… But with Richardson, it’s different, as his agreement ends soon.

All that to say, it would be interesting to see Richardson make a return to Montreal. And it’s likely to be the talk of a lot of people in the coming weeks.


Overtime

– Here it is:

– He ain’t little, Sheriff.

– Beautiful style.

– Brings back memories.

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