Martin St-Louis’ return to Montreal has only added more fuel to the contract chatter surrounding the Canadiens coach.
St-Louis was at practice this morning at the CN Sports Complex, where he watched the team closely as an observer. His appearance came earlier than expected, since Montreal’s annual golf tournament is still two weeks away, and that timing immediately set off questions about why he was back in town so soon.
One obvious theory has been circulating: could he be in Montreal to work out a contract extension with the organization? St-Louis is in the final year of his current deal, and Geoff Molson would reportedly like to settle that situation quickly.
What makes the story even more interesting is that St-Louis didn’t just pop in and leave. His presence at practice suggests he may be staying longer than people first thought, possibly for good.
There is still a date being discussed as a possible target if a deal is reached. The September 14 golf tournament remains a candidate for when something could be made official.
The timing lines up with plenty of other Canadiens activity, too. Several players have already returned to Brossard this week, including Nick Suzuki and Kaiden Guhle, with camp right around the corner.
The rookie camp opens September 9, and the main training camp follows on September 16.
For now, the exact reason for St-Louis’ extended stay hasn’t been confirmed. But the longer he remains around the team, the more the speculation keeps growing.
Canadiens media availability is coming in the next few days, and St-Louis will be part of those press conferences.
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