Montreal Canadiens Sign Pair For Organizational Goaltending Depth

The Montreal Canadiens have been nibbling around the edges of free agency without making any big signings. They simply don’t have the cap space or roster that is attractive enough for a star free agent.

They have added some depth, bringing in Mitchell Stephens, Anthony Richard and Madison Bowey while also retaining AHL players like Brandon Gignac Danick Martel and Ryan Francis on minor league deals.

The organization turned its focus on goaltending depth today, signing a pair of young netminders that will help out in the minor leagues in the upcoming season. With the departure of Kevin Poulin, uncertainty around Carey Price, and likelihood of a trade deadline deal involving Jake Allen, they will need all kinds of depth in the organization.

They added plenty with the signings of Joe Vrbetic and Philippe Desrosiers to two-way AHL contracts. That essentially means they are eligible to play with the Laval Rocket of the AHL or be sent to the ECHL and suit up for the Trois-Rivières Lions.

Desrosiers is familiar with this setup, as he has played 76 AHL games in his career, and 140 ECHL games. He suited up for 34 games with the Lions last season in the ECHL, posting a 3.09 GAA and a .902 SV%. The 26 year old CHL Goaltender of the Year in 2015 could be the backup for Cayden Primeau with the Rocket, or possibly see time with the Lions once again.

Vrbetic was a 7th round pick of the Canadiens in 2021. He played last season with the North Bay Battalion of the OHL and had some great stretches of games, followed by times when he would lose the net to 17 year old Dom DiVincentiis.

Vrbetic finished last season with a 2.59 GAA and a .907 SV% in 45 games. The 6’6″ goaltender will turn 20 in October so he could have returned to the OHL for one more season but would have taken up one of three overaged spots on his team. Instead, he chooses to go pro and will likely start the season in the ECHL with the Lions.

This gives the organization some insurance in the event Price can not play. If so, Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault will be at the NHL level, Primeau and Desrosiers will be in the AHL and Vrbetic will be the leading goalie at the ECHL level. If Price does return, either Allen gets traded and nothing changes at the minor league level, or Montembeault is put on waivers and sent down if he passes through and Desrosiers gets demoted from AHL to ECHL with Vrbetic.

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