The Martin St Louis-led Montreal Canadiens have put an onus on development, but their three-goaltender situation has stunted Cayden Primeau thus far.
I say thus far because he has had just three starts this season. For the most part, he has essentially been a healthy scratch, watching on from the press box. Organizations rarely go through an entire season without three goalies, and it’s easy to see why.
Primeau, a 2017 7th-rounder, is just 24 years old, the same as Habs captain Nick Suzuki. There is no chance that Suzuki spending the majority of his time watching from the stands would help with his development. The same can be said for Primeau, he needs to get those reps in, and the Canadiens knew that heading into the 2023-24 season.
While it’s true that goalies take a little longer to develop, and their prime years are different from players. That sentiment shows the importance of Primeau getting starts. He is learning nothing from sitting on the bench, and losing out on valuable playing time.
A month and a half into the season isn’t a long time to wait. And certainly, Kent Hughes is aware of the market for goalies, so he needs to pull the trigger on a deal to help a team in need. Of course, a small fee coming back the other way, in the form of draft capital, is what he should be seeking.
It’s beyond time to make a choice on Jake Allen or Samuel Montembeault and roll with it. Allen’s days as a starter are behind him, but his veteran presence and Stanley Cup ring make him a great option. He can hold down the fort, then slide to backup, when his new team’s starter returns from injury.
Even with that considered, I don’t see Monty as the future starter. I think that guy is developing right now in the system. The solution will come from within, and if Montembeault can increase his trade value over the next couple of seasons, he could fetch a good return. Him splitting starts with Primeau would be best for the pair.
Regardless of who gets moved, and when the situation is addressed, the Habs must make a move. It’s unfair to Primeau, to ask him to sit in the press box every night. Certainly, the fact that he can’t be sent down throws a wrench in any plans, but this was known and needs to be dealt with.
Primeau’s Third Start Of The Season
Primeau’s third start came against the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights. It speaks to Marty’s trust and confidence in the youngest of the three goalies under contract. But let’s call it like it is – Primeau is making just his third start of the year – yes third.
Just a ridiculous save from Cayden Primeau to end the night pic.twitter.com/o2zppKa9nt
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) November 17, 2023
Vegas played a rough and tumble game. Kaiden Guhle picked up the majority of the ice time and continued his strong play. But the story was Primeau, who faced an onslaught of shots the entire night, at the end of the game, shots were 42-28 in favour of the Golden Knights.
The game ended 6-5, so you would likely that number to be lower. The young defence pulled up their socks, but mistakes are bound to occur, and they did. If not for Primeau the score could have been much higher. He made some great saves and held the team in for as long as he could. Gallagher’s four-minute minor for high sticking ultimately sealed the Canadiens’ fate.
Primeau had a solid night and proved against one of the league’s best teams that he deserves to be playing as much as his Habs goaltending colleagues.
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