5 insurance policy goaltenders the Canadiens can add this offseason
The Montreal Canadiens have a pair of goaltenders who could fuse a solid tandem in 2024-25, but they should still consider signing a No. 3 netminder.
The Montreal Canadiens shouldn’t be in the market for a goaltender this offseason, but that only applies to starter Sam Montembeault and the backup Cayden Primeau. Instead, a No. 3 goaltender, or an “insurance policy,” is something they do need.
Montembeault was excellent this season, even if his basic numbers don’t show it. He logged just a 0.903 save percentage, a 3.14 GAA, and zero shutouts, but look at the improvement he made compared prior to his age-27 season. A GAA of 3.49 and a save percentage of just 0.896 before 2023-24 should indicate how far he’s come, and even more impressive is the fact he’s seen time in 38-plus games for three straight seasons, further suggesting he can be a 1A.
Cayden Primeau was also good when called upon, and there is a chance he can cut further into Montembeault’s playing time. Primeau just completed his age-24 season, registering a 0.910 save percentage, a 2.99 GAA, two shutouts, and just over two goals allowed than expected at even strength.
Canadiens have good goaltenders, but they need insurance
Just because the Habs need a third goaltender, it doesn’t mean they will go through another three-goaltender rotation as they did for most of 2023-24 when Jake Allen was in town. But it never hurts to have one seasoned veteran in the AHL, waiting for a recall if injuries strike.
They do have Jakub Dobes with the Laval Rocket, and he won’t become a free agent until next season. But Dobes will just be 23 years old in 2024-25, and he has just 51 games of experience at the professional level.
If general manager Kent Hughes wanted someone with more experience to serve as “insurance” for his top two goaltenders in Montreal, he would be better off rolling with a veteran who wouldn’t mind floating between the NHL and the AHL.
Eric Comrie would be a stellar addition in Laval
Forget about Eric Comrie’s $1.8 million AAV over the last two seasons; he’s not getting anywhere near that number this time around. Comrie, who looked like he could emerge as a No. 1 goaltender back in 2021-22, spent the previous two seasons proving he’s best-suited as either a backup or for an organization in the Canadiens situation, an insurance policy in the AHL.
Comrie just completed his second season with the Sabres, and while he presumably finished his career with the Blue and Gold by winning against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he also ended up with an 11-16-1 record across 29 starts. His save percentage sat at just 0.882, with a 3.68 GAA and one shutout.
But Comrie also saw some time in the AHL when the Sabres called up Devon Levi while they were still somewhat in playoff contention earlier in the year. He started four games in the second-tier league, posting a stellar 0.934 save percentage, a shutout, and a 2.26 GAA, showing he’s more than a decent fixture at the AHL level.
While Comrie’s numbers with the Sabres weren’t good, he still played well when he lined up in the crease 19 times in 2021-22. He averaged a 0.920 save percentage and a 2.58 GAA, so if injuries struck either Sam Montembeault or Cayden Primeau, there is still a chance Comrie puts up decent numbers with limited starts.
Malcolm Subban should still be a top AHL-caliber goaltender
If Kent Hughes wants to target a more experienced free agent goaltender, Malcolm Subban would be an outstanding candidate. He’s played in 87 NHL games and started 78 of them, and there have been times when he put up solid numbers.
Subban saw one game of action with the big club this season when the Columbus Blue Jackets played him late in the year. He couldn’t get the win, but Subban still logged a 0.914 save percentage and allowed three goals on 35 shots, showing he could still be a sound presence at the NHL level if needed.
Like Comrie, Subban would also be perfectly fine with floating between the AHL and the NHL, something he’s been doing for a good portion of his career. Subban was also the top goaltender in Rochester back in 2022-23, and he recorded a solid 0.903 save percentage, a 2.94 GAA, and a pair of shutouts before further picking up his game in the playoffs.
Subban also saw 31 starts in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds this season, where he posted similar numbers to what he’d seen in Rochester. He also saw four starts for the Cleveland Monsters following his trade to Columbus, though he didn’t put up the same performances, finishing 0-3-0 with a 4.56 GAA.
Alex Nedeljkovic played well in Pittsburgh but would thrive in a No. 3 role
Of all the potential “insurance policies” listed, Alex Nedeljkovic could be the top name. Long gone are the days that he looked like a possible franchise goaltender, something a contingent of Carolina Hurricanes fans may have believed when he recorded an eye-popping 0.932 save percentage, 1.90 GAA, three shutouts, and 15 quality starts in 2020-21.
It all ended when the Hurricanes traded him to Detroit, and while Nedeljkovic recorded four shutouts with the Red Wings in 2021-22, his GAA sat at 3.31. To be fair, this was a bad hockey team compared to what he had in Carolina, but things didn’t improve for Nedeljkovic in 2022-23, and he saw just 13 starts that season.
But that changed this past year when he served as Tristan Jarry’s 1B. Nedeljkovic started 33 games and made 38 appearances, recording 18 wins in the process. His basic numbers weren’t bad, with a 0.902 save percentage and a 2.97 GAA, so there is a chance he sticks around with the Penguins or becomes the backup somewhere else.
However, just because a player may enjoy a good season after a few pedestrian campaigns does not mean they’re guaranteed a spot as a No. 2 goaltender. And if that’s the case, Kent Hughes should seriously look into bringing him on at a discounted rate.
Felix Sandstrom would have something to prove next season
The NHL has not been kind to Felix Sandstrom over the past three seasons, and his days in the Philadelphia Flyers system could be over. He’s seen just 30 games and 26 starts with the big club, posting a 4-18-4 record, an 0.880 save percentage, and a 3.66 GAA, but his 2023-24 numbers more than indicate he’s destined for the AHL.
He played in five games and started three of them, so this is admittedly a small sample size. But with an 0.823 save percentage, a 3.87 GAA, and two of those three starts labeled as ‘really bad,’ it should tell you everything. However, he has enjoyed some decent stints, as we saw in 2021-22 when his save percentage hit the 0.910 mark, and he actually saved 0.8 goals above expected at even strength, so it’s not like he can’t play in the NHL.
Sandstrom had a bad year overall, so his numbers throughout 24 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms also haven’t been encouraging. But in 2022-23, he played in seven contests and enjoyed a stellar outing. Again, we’re looking at a small sample size, but Sandstrom has shown that he can play well at times, and following a bad year, he will have something to prove going into 2024-25.
Antti Raanta would know his role well at this stage of his career
Antti Raanta could be the least likely name on this list to sign on for a No. 3 goaltender’s role, given his age. But when Frederik Andersen returned to the lineup with the Carolina Hurricanes, Raanta has taken a recent demotion in stride before an ultimate recall and has seen eight games with the Chicago Wolves this season, posting a 3.54 GAA, an 0.873 save percentage, and a 2-2-4 record.
Throughout 2023-24, he posted similar statistics in Carolina, and he allowed nearly eight more goals than expected at even strength. All of the above were the worst numbers of Raanta’s career, which, until this season, weren’t bad at all.
Through 253 games and 231 starts at the highest level before 2023-24, Raanta posted 127 wins, a GAA of 2.43, a 0.918 save percentage, and a 0.610 quality starts percentage. Thanks to the drop-off, it’s highly likely that Raanta is finished in the NHL, or at least as a full-time 1B or backup.
If he’s fine with continuing his career as an insurance policy goaltender at a lower rate, then Kent Hughes should consider bringing him aboard. There is no way he would see the crease more than Sam Montembeault or Cayden Primeau, but he brings tons of experience.
feed
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Elite Prospects)