Grading the Montreal Canadiens Offseason Moves
Jake Allen Trade and Signing
Marc Bergevin was proactive right as the Canadiens’ offseason began, trading for Jake Allen with a 2020 3rd round pick going to St. Louis, as well as swapping a 7th in this past draft for one in 2022. The 3rd round pick was used to select Dylan Peterson, a prospect I actually like quite a bit. He’s a massive centreman who has bottom-6 NHL upside, I could very well imagine the Habs would have picked him in this slot, but getting Jake Allen instead can be seen as nothing short of an absolute win.
The Habs have prospects, the Habs have an abundance of draft picks; the team was, however, missing a reliable backup who can carry a significant load and ensure that Carey Price stays fresh and performs at his best. Allen was a starter in the NHL up until the start of 2019 when Jordan Binnigton stole the starting job and led St. Louis to a Stanley Cup victory. This past season, the recently-turned 30-year-old Allen played in 24 games and posted a .927 SV%; in the playoffs, he outperformed Binnington, recording a .935 SV% through 5 games. Throughout his NHL career, his SV% is of .913 through 289 games.
His contract, which carries an average annual value (AAV) of $4.35 million, was set to expire after this upcoming season, which is something that Marc Bergevin would not have found on the free-agent market, where all quality goaltenders have signed multi-year contracts. I believe that Allen’s addition alone will add 6-8 points in the standings, which is tremendous value for a third-round draft pick.
Jake Allen Trade Grade: A
Given that part of the appeal in acquiring Jake Allen was the single year left on the contract, I had not expected an extension to his contract before he even played a single game as a Hab, but the more I think about, the more sense it makes. Bergevin extended Allen for two years, so the goaltender is on the books for the next three seasons, on a contract with an AAV of $2.875 million.
While this does expose Allen to the Seattle expansion draft, the Canadiens did not need to extend Allen for the purpose of the expansion draft, simply qualifying Michael McNiven next offseason would have met the goaltender exposure requirement. However, Allen does make for an attractive option for Seattle when they build their team next season, especially if his good form continues. The low cap-hit for a perfect 1b goaltender is sure to be a tempting option.
Even if the Canadiens lose Allen after a season, this extension may save the team from losing a promising young defenceman like Victor Mete or a reliable third-liner like Joel Armia or Artturi Lehkonen to the Kraken, which would, in itself, be great for the Habs. And if Allen remains on the Habs, they will have themselves an excellent backup at an affordable cost, who bridges the gap until Cayden Primeau is ready to be a full-time NHL backup.