Rumors persist that a Canadiens goalkeeper trade is still conceivable.
The Montreal Canadiens’ general manager, Kent Hughes, has made no secret of his efforts to try and decide which of the team’s three goalies to trade throughout the season. There were three players on the team when the season began, and as the trade deadline draws near, all three are still available.
Since they have seemingly been at it all season, Hughes has had difficulty moving a goalie. Though all three goalies have had highs and lows, Jake Allen has had the most declines. It makes perfect sense that the Canadiens have been pressing to cut Allen instead of Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau because he is a veteran and has been the worst player out of the three after the first month of the season.
While Montembeault is signed through 2027 and Primeau is a restricted free agent (RFA) at the conclusion of the following season, Allen has one more year remaining on his contract at $3.85 million AAV (average annual value) before becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Though nothing is established, it would seem reasonable that the Canadiens would have decided who they wanted to proceed with if they could. The squad isn’t quite ready to contend, but if Montembeault is dealt, they will be further distanced and might even regret cutting ties with Primeau so soon into his NHL career.
Where the Rumors About the Goalie Trade Are Coming From
The Canadiens have been shopping Allen to contending teams in need of a replacement. This ought to have happened—and probably should have—earlier in the season when certain clubs were hurt or having trouble, but Montreal obviously took no action.
The Colorado Avalanche are not getting Allen, according to reports from several insiders, including Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger. Despite the fact that the two parties haven’t spoken in days, there have been prior discussions. As Alexandar Georgiev is currently the only goalie the team can rely on, nothing appears to be imminent, but the Canadiens should be talking to him first.
With Valeri Nichushkin in the player assistance program and Gabriel Landeskog on the long-term injured reserve, the Avalanche now have some cap room. However, the Canadiens would still need to keep some money from the transaction. Justus Annunen is the Avalanche’s last internal option for the time being. Pavel Francouz is sidelined for the rest of the season, and Ivan Prosvetov, whom they picked up on waivers, has already been sent down. From the beginning, it appears that he will require more time, which the Avalanche lack this season as they attempt to win another Stanley Cup.
Even though Allen’s numbers haven’t been the best, I expect the Canadiens and Avalanche to talk more about him in the near future. The Avalanche don’t have many choices to trade for that would be suitable for an accomplished goalie who could hold down the net in an emergency. Allen does meet their demands, and he would benefit greatly from a change of location. At the end of the season, Francouz is a UFA since he simply can’t be relied upon to stay healthy. Allen’s acquisition at a lower salary cap charge would benefit the Avalanche both now and in the future. The Canadiens have direct experience with Allen’s ability to go on a tear and perform at a high level, as seen by his early-season 3-1-1 record and.927 save percentage in the first five games of the year.
The Avalanche should be watched closely for any movement, but the Canadiens will talk to anyone they can since Hughes is determined to transfer a goalkeeper, and Allen should be that player.
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