Montreal Canadiens: What Is The Plan For Cayden Primeau?

The Montreal Canadiens goaltending tandem appears to be set for next season. The same two goaltenders who played the bulk of the games in the past two seasons are still signed, so they will likely combine to play most of the games next season as well.

Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault combined to appear in 82 games last season and 73 the year prior. As long as they stay healthy, they will likely combine to play close to all 82 once again.

Allen is signed for two more seasons at a cap hit of $3.85 million. He is the veteran leader and mentor for the younger goalies in the organization and will be going nowhere with that contract. With all due respect, he hasn’t shown he should be an unquestioned number one on a great team, and that contract will stop other teams from bringing him in as a backup.

Montembeault is entering the final year of his contract with a cap hit of just $1 million. He is 26, but has improved during each of the past two seasons and will be looking to prove this season he is the team’s starting goaltender going forward. The Becancour, Quebec native enjoys playing close to home and will be motivated to earn a contract extension.

So, where does that leave Cayden Primeau? The 23 year old goaltender was at times believed to be the long-term solution in goal for the Canadiens. He also needs to pass through waivers for the first time in 2023-24 before being sent back down to the Laval Rocket. With Allen and Montembeault on the NHL roster, there really isn’t room for Primeau.

The Canadiens seventh round pick in 2017, Primeau had two excellent college seasons at Northeastern after being selected in the NHL Draft. He won the Mike Richter Award in 2019 as the best goaltender in college hockey. He seemed poised for a great NHL career at that time.

So far, he has played a total of 21 NHL games in his four pro seasons and the results have not been great. He has a record of 3-12-2 with a goals-against average of 4.11 and a save percentage of .871 in those 21 games. Now, some of that can be blamed on the poor teams he was standing behind the past two seasons, but he needs to take some blame for the poor numbers as well.

He has had his ups and downs at the AHL level with the Laval Rocket as well. He goes on some stretches where he looks great and puts up fantastic numbers, but he also has some lulls throughout the seasons where he doesn’t play as well.

His save percentages in four seasons with the Rocket are remarkably consistent. The past three seasons he has had a .909 SV% each year and his first season in Laval he posted a .908 SV%.

To date, he has played 123 AHL games with mostly mediocre Rocket teams, posting a 2.74 GAA and a .909 SV% in that time. So, is he the goalie of the future for the Canadiens, or is his chance of becoming an NHL goalie pretty much non-existent?

It is really still too early to tell. His inconsistency, though it always has him ending at the same point each season, is a bit of a red flag. But every athlete goes through hot and cold streaks and he is still a young player who seems to play better when he plays more often. The jury is still out on Primeau and it should not shock anyone if he is a solid starting goalie in the NHL in a few years.

But what is the immediate plan for him? If there is no room on the NHL roster, could he be traded? It seems unlikely as no one is going to want to give up much for a young goalie with a career .871 SV% at the NHL level. If they can’t trade him that pretty much means he has to go on waivers next season.

But, is that the worst option? Losing a young player for nothing would now be ideal, but is another NHL team going to claim him right now? It is only worth claiming a player if you plan on keeping them on the NHL roster, as they still need to pass through waivers to go to the AHL. Which NHL team is guaranteeing Primeau a spot right now?

I don’t really see one out there. It is likely that Primeau passes through waivers and then has one more year of development with the Laval Rocket. That would be best for his long-term progression and give him another chance to show what he can do at the pro level.

The chances of him turning into a star with the Canadiens are dwindling, but it is too early to write him off altogether. With little to no trade value, the best thing the Canadiens can do is hope he passes through waivers on the day before the regular season starts when every team is scrambling to get down to a 23-man roster.

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