Podcast highlights: Martin Lapointe

MONTREAL - Martin Lapointe played 991 regular season games during his NHL career, claiming back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings along the way.

Even after hanging up skates, the former first-round selection has always remained involved in the game he loves. He currently serves as the Canadiens' director of player personnel.
Lapointe recently joined host Marc Dumont on the Canadiens' History in the Making podcast to discuss his responsibilities within the organization, his methods for evaluating young players, and to provide some insight on prospects who participated in the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship.
Read on for a few highlights from the discussion, which is available in its entirety wherever you get your podcasts.
MARC DUMONT:To start, I'd like you to explain precisely what your role is with the Habs.
MARTIN LAPOINTE: I'm involved in many different areas. I'm involved with anything that concerns free agents in Europe. I talk with Hannu Laine, who handles free agents in Finland. There's also Vincent Riendeau, who heads to Europe to watch free agents. When I'm given the green light to travel to watch players in Europe, I'll provide the team with a "Yes" or "No" about a guy. That's my role with free agents. Over the last two years, I really focused on the amateur side of things with Trevor Timmins and Shane Churla. I concentrated on the first three rounds. Trevor and Shane kept going for the other rounds. I've been doing more work on the amateur side the last two years. It's a good challenge and it was fun to work with Trevor and Shane.
MD:An example would be Otto Leskinen. Was he one of your picks? And how do you identify that a player who's enjoying success in Finland can translate his play into the AHL or NHL?
ML: Yes, Hannu Laine watched him for a while and he asked me to come to Finland to see him play. As for your second question, the dimensions of the ice surface are definitely different overseas. You have to watch his skating, his smarts with the puck and his anticipation. I think Leskinen is having a very good season in Finland. It was an easy choice for us. He was going to start in Laval, but he also played a few games with the big club. Otto is a very competitive guy. He isn't imposing physically, but he can use his body in the corners. He's a good skater and he sees the play well. We're hoping that he'll make the big jump soon, but we'll see what happens.
MD: What do you like about defenseman Kaiden Guhle? What intrigued the Canadiens about him?
ML:Firstly, he has good size. He also skates very well. We love his passion for the game. He's a winner. He wants to win and he'll do anything to win. He's a team-first guy. He isn't afraid to play a physical brand of hockey and he can move the puck. He's very good at defending in his own end as well.
MD: There's also Jan Mysak and Cole Caufield, both of whom played at the World Juniors. How would you evaluate the performance of your players in that type of tournament?
ML: It's the best tournament in the world. You're playing with and against the best. Mysak is a player with a lot of energy and passion. He's the captain of the Czech Republic. That's a plus for us. Kids get a lot of experience there and it's a good barometer to compare players against others.
MD: Let's say that Mysak doesn't score and doesn't even pick up a point. Do you call him? What's the process and what are your expectations?
ML: I don't really pay particular attention to goals and points. I want the player to play the right way. I want him to play a good 200-foot game, be competitive and bring passion to the game. I think that Jan Mysak can do well. Whether he scores one or 10 goals, if he doesn't play the right way, he isn't a hockey player.
MD: As a result of the Canadiens' performance in the playoffs and the play of Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Montreal has become a destination for free agents. Did you know that one playoff could change the perception of the city and the organization?
ML:I'd say good for us if our performance changed the perception of many players. If you talk to guys who played in Montreal, they'll all say they enjoyed the experience. Playing in Montreal definitely comes with pressure. If you don't like pressure, you're in the wrong business. There are players like Tyler Toffoli who wanted to play in Montreal. It proves that we're going to have a competitive team and he wants to win. The future is bright for the Montreal Canadiens.
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