Canadiens fans: sixth most confident of their team’s NHL leaders

Canadiens fans are very demanding of their team, but they appreciate a job well done, especially from management. That’s what we noticed in a recent survey by The Athletic.

For the ninth season, The Athletic asked NHL fans to rate their favorite team’s management on six different criteria: team building, payroll management, draft and development, trades, free agents and vision.

Unsurprisingly, the Canadiens’ executives received high marks. What’s surprising is that Montreal finds itself in sixth place in this ranking, in the company of NHL powers!

The Athletic ranked NHL front-office confidence & how fans feel about their team.

The Habs are ranked 6th:

pic.twitter.com/sroRVNJrpb

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 6, 2024

Kent Hughes and his band received an average grade of A- from their fans! The category where fans are most satisfied is draft and development (A) and the category most in need of improvement is free agents (B-).

Everything else is rated A-!

What’s even more impressive is that the Canadiens have gone from 14th last year to 6th this year. 75% of fans are even more satisfied this year than they were this time last year.

At the very top of the poll, of course, are the Florida Panthers, who have just presented their fans with their first Stanley Cup. So it’s no surprise that Panthers fans rate their team’s leaders with an A+.

Above the Canadiens are the Stars (second), Lightning (third) and Canucks (fifth). Except that there’s also Utah in fourth place!

Few fans of Utah’s new team voted in this poll, but those who did almost all seemed very confident in the direction of their favorite team.

One of the biggest surprises in this poll is probably Edmonton. The favourites to become the next Stanley Cup champions are ranked 25th in the poll!

Unlike Canadiens fans, 75% of Oilers fans have less confidence in their management this year than last. Let’s just say that the hiring of Stan Bowman probably didn’t help the cause.

Honorable mention goes to Toronto Maple Leafs fans, who rank 30th in the entire NHL for confidence in their management. Being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs seven times in eight years is a real morale killer.

And last but not least, the New York Islanders are in last place for the second year in a row!

Islanders fans have lost faith in Lou Lamoriello and are convinced that this team is destined to finish in the middle of the standings for the coming season.