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Montreal Canadiens: Michael McNiven Has a Chance to Be a Starter

By Omar L |
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 09: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Michael McNiven (70) makes a glove save during the third period of the NHL rookie tournament game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators on September 9, 2017, at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photograph by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 09: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Michael McNiven (70) makes a glove save during the third period of the NHL rookie tournament game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators on September 9, 2017, at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photograph by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael McNiven has a chance to be a starting goaltender this season playing for the Brampton Beast.

Boy are the Montreal Canadiens deep goaltending-wise. They’ll have Carey Price for the next eight seasons after this one, Charlie Lindgren, who could arguably be the Habs’ backup right now, and Zachary Fucale, who has a bright future ahead of him. Each level of the Canadiens organization is covered in the net, including in the ECHL.

The Brampton Beast are getting ready to build off the success they had the year before. There will be a lot of old faces, but some new ones as well. One which includes Michael McNiven. The 20-year-old was unable to steal a spot in the NHL or AHL but will have an opportunity with Brampton.

However, this could be special for him. There is no clear-cut starting goaltender on the beast. Last season Fucale had the bulk of the starts, but Andrew D’Agostini saw some action as well. D’Agostini played in 25 games and finished the season with a .894 save percentage (Sv%). Considering that McNiven had a strong chance to play in Laval, he could definitely be the starting goaltender for the Brampton Beast.

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But what is a starting goaltender? It’s not always about how many starts and the number of saves you make. Every coach says it, “We want our guy to give us a chance”. McNiven has proven that he has what it takes to do that. Not everyone is named OHL goaltender of the year.

Even looking back at the Rookie Tournament, the Georgetown-native has proved that he can steal a game or two. A part of the affiliation that Brampton and Montreal has is that it could be a place to develop their prospects. At the start of the season it may be D’Agostini at first who gets priority since he’s been there before, however it’ll be a matter of time before McNiven stands out.

One thing to keep in is that if there is any kind of injury with the Habs or the Rocket, McNiven will be brought up in some capacity. Lindgren will be in the NHL full-time at some point within the next two years, and McNiven won’t be too far behind him.

Next: What Made the Preseason Worthwhile

What do you expect from McNiven with Brampton this season? Can he be the starting goaltender? Let us know what you think down below.

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