The Montreal Canadiens offseason is in full-swing and with the draft slated at the end of June, there isn't a whole lot of Habs news to consume.
But here at A Winning Habit, we keep the content coming all year round, which can be admittedly tough. So, in the spirit of keeping things rolling along, we will move on to the second player grading of the 2023-24 season. March recipient of the Molson Cup, Cayden Primeau.
Primeau has teetered between the Laval Rocket and tried to find his footing with the Habs, to no avail so far. But after Jake Allen was traded to the New Jersey Devils at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, Primeau seemed to find a little bit of confidence with the increase in responsibility. Thankfully, Primeau has a clear view of the backup role come October and it would be in his best interest to grab hold of the opportunity and run with it.
Primeau played 23 games in 2023-24, finishing with an 8-9-4 record - the most games he has played in a season and the most wins. If his season did anything, it gave him some inspiration and fire to elevate his game to a new level. And without battling for his position next season, he should be confident that he can assert himself and find his rhythm.
Aside from Jakub Dobes, unless Kent Hughes decides that Primeau can't handle the workload; it's a safe bet that Primeau will hold his role for the entire year. Jacob Fowler is another name, but he is still at least one more NCAA season away from turning pro. Healthy competition would certainly give Primeau incentive to play his best hockey, but it's hard to imagine he needs any motivation at this juncture.
Primeau's season wasn't exactly a success, but it wasn't a lost year; as he learned a lot and grew through the adversity. For that reason, I would grade his season as a C-. There is indefinite need for improvement, but without going through adversity it is awfully difficult to gauge where your game is at and what areas need to be sharpened.