Montreal Canadiens: Zachary Fucale is being showcased for a trade

One of the first moves the Montreal Canadiens make could be Zachary Fucale who looks like he is being showcased to other teams.

A name that has been all over the Laval Rocket’s AHL transaction page has been Zachary Fucale. Only one of these moves included a trip to the Montreal Canadiens, but besides that, it’s been back and for between Laval and the Brampton Beast of the ECHL.

Fucale went into this season expected to backup Charlie Lindgren but was outplayed by Michael McNiven who started out in Brampton. The 22-year-old got an opportunity to play in the AHL more after Lindgren was called up to the Habs but again was the odd man out after Carey Price returned from injury.

From then on, the cycle between Laval and Brampton has continued. Some of it made sense as it isn’t ideal for a team to carry three goaltenders around all season and getting sent down to the ECHL gave Fucale the chance to get some starts under his belt.

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Just yesterday, the 2013 second round pick was called up to the AHL again. However, this is coming off two impressive performances with the Beast (35 saves against the Reading Royals and 26 against the Adirondack Thunder).

It makes you think whether it’s McNiven’s turn to get sent down, or maybe there’s a greater plan at play here.

An article by TVA Sports circulated around Habs social media detailing that the Montreal Canadiens had tried to trade Fucale before sending him down at the end of December. Apparently, there were no bitters out there then, but perhaps they’re trying again now that management is transitioning into a rebuilding state of mind.

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No team is going to trade for a goaltender that can only post up good numbers in the ECHL. NHL scouts appear at AHL games from time to time, and if there is a team that wants to shore up their depth in net, Fucale could be an option. He hasn’t become exactly what the Habs wanted after drafting him, but no goaltender has the same path to the big leagues.

Perhaps the Quebec native still needs more time and may benefit from a redo with a new organization. At the same time, the Habs’ goaltending is in good hands with Lindgren and McNiven for the upcoming years. There’s also Cayden Primeau who is having a fantastic freshman year at Northeastern University with an 11-4-3 record an .922 save percentage to match.

It’s something to consider as the season continues. Fucale is among the group of RFAs that will need to be qualified, and there’s a strong chance the Habs will look the other way. If that happens, Fucale will be free to continue his career elsewhere, but it would be better for the Habs to get something for him if they can.

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Do you think Fucale is being showcased or is he still part of the Habs’ future? Let us know what you think in the comments.