Kevin Bieksa, known for his aggressive hits on the ice, has recently criticized the Montreal Canadiens, delivering a strong verbal attack.
This season has been challenging for Martin St. Louis and the Canadiens, who were considered a potential playoff dark horse. They have struggled with injuries to key players like Patrik Laine and a recently returned Kaiden Guhle, along with inconsistent team performance. Many are speculating that St. Louis could be in trouble due to the team’s poor showing.
NHL analyst Kevin Bieksa, recognized for his outspoken views, has specifically called out the Canadiens for their current performance, which he finds alarming:
“Montreal is quite concerning to me right now,” Bieksa stated. “It’s acceptable for a young team to lose when they’re making progress… but regression is the opposite of progress. It seems like they’re regressing; the only player improving is Cole Caufield,” he said, acknowledging Caufield’s contributions.
He added, “Everyone else has plateaued. Look at [Kaiden] Guhle and some of their other young talents, even [Nick] Suzuki, who has also stagnated.”
Bieksa’s assessment holds weight, as Cole Caufield has emerged as a standout player this season, showing the potential to become one of the league’s top goal-scorers in the near future. He is the only bright spot in an otherwise lackluster Montreal campaign.
Bieksa also mentioned Arber Xhekaj, who has been the subject of trade rumors recently. “I really appreciate his style of play, but it’s been a tough season for him… there have been too many mistakes on the ice,” Bieksa remarked.
Defensive errors have severely impacted the Canadiens this year. After a strong start against the Maple Leafs, they seem to have faltered, being outscored by 15 goals throughout the season. Regardless of how skilled the goalie is, consistent defensive lapses lead to conceding goals.
If the Canadiens can turn their performance around and prove Bieksa wrong, it would greatly uplift team morale and create a positive narrative. However, given their current path, the team may look significantly different by January.
