The Canadiens (18-38-11) are 10-8-4 since St. Louis replaced Dominique Ducharme on Feb. 9.
"I'd like to see him part of the Montreal Canadiens organization for the long term and remove the interim tag, if that's the question you're asking," Hughes told TSN at the NHL general managers meetings in Manalapan, Florida. "In terms of the success and the impact that he's had, I expected him to have an impact, no question about it. Probably not as significant as he has in such a short period of time. But, I said at the beginning, I'm not one to bet against Marty St. Louis, and those that have, have generally lost. He's a pretty special guy and he's proven to be a pretty special coach."
The Canadiens became the first team to be eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention March 25, one season after they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, and can finish no higher than fifth in the Atlantic Division.
However, they've received a spark from forward Cole Caufield, who has scored 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in the 22 games under St. Louis, which leads NHL rookies in that span. Center Nick Suzuki has scored 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in the past 22 games.
Montreal has also been playing this season without Carey Price, who has been out since having knee surgery July 23. Although there is no timetable for Price to play in a game, the 34-year-old goalie returned to practice with the Canadiens on March 19 after he had to restart his rehabilitation Jan. 17. This came after he rejoined the team Nov. 9 after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program Oct. 7 for substance use.
"I think it's really totally up to his health," Hughes said. "It would be great for the team to have Carey come back, just that boost. … It sounds like there was a real void without [injured defenseman] Shea Weber, without [forward] Corey Perry (who signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agent July 30) and without your superstar in Carey Price being part of the locker room and the day to day. So having Carey back would certainly be helpful to our group and give them hope.
"Probably most importantly for Carey, I think, when you struggle through this type of an injury and you try to come back, and you get frustrated time and time again, I think it's going to be a huge weight off his shoulders and give him a little bit of peace of mind to be able to return and play."
