As we all know, the Canadiens have a reputation for asking tough questions at the NHL combine in Buffalo.
The club’s mentality? See how prospects react when they’re out of their comfort zone. Understanding how they think under pressure helps them make decisions when it’s time to draft.
And in a market like Montreal, there is pressure.
What you need to know is that the Habs are taking advantage of this to build up a base of information on certain young players. And that’s even though they obviously won’t be able to draft everyone they interview.
Information is power, they say. That’s why, even if the chances are that Caleb Desnoyers won’t end up in Montreal, interviewing him is a good thing.
And now, on the heels of this year’s combine, some prospects have told Anthony Martineau, who is in Buffalo this week for TVA Sports, that they’ve been asked a good question.
The question? If you run into Nick Suzuki at 3 a.m. in the casino and Martin St-Louis asks you, the next morning, if you’ve seen him… what do you say to your head coach by then?
I guess the CH took Suzuki’s example because the chances of it happening are slimmer than other guys in the Habs dressing room, but also because he’s the captain.
If I were in the shoes of a prospect, I think I’d respond as Anthony Martineau suggested, by telling the truth. After all, in life, if you’re asked a question like that, your bosses already know the answer.
To me, that’s an excellent question. After all, it’s not an impossible scenario in the NHL, let’s face it.
I’d be curious to know how much the prospects, who are being groomed en masse for the combine, expect to be asked a question like that. Because I think it’s really relevant.
