The Montreal Canadiens goaltending situation doesn't look awful, with Samuel Montembeault the number one guy and Jacob Fowler looking like the future between the pipes for the bleu-blanc-rouge.
But you noticed how I left out the backup goaltender of the 2024-25 Canadiens, right? Well, I don't have all that much confidence in Cayden Primeau, and I hate to be that negative guy. But Primeau, now 25 years old, has been working towards being an NHL-level goaltender since 2019-20.
His combined 52 starts indicate that the club doesn't have a whole lot of confidence in the Farmington Hills, Michigan native. Sporting a measly 12-22-7 record over six seasons with the club, the time is now for him to find his groove. But through his eight starts this season, Primeau has been pulled four times, sporting a 4.59 goals against/average and .842 save percentage.
For all intents and purposes, Primeau has struggled and to be honest, it sort of feels like he is a good AHL goaltender, but can't seem to put it all together in Montreal. Now, there isn't another goalie who will surpass him this season, but next season could be a different story. Laval is clicking and both Jakub Dobes and Connor Hughes have been one of the league's brilliant goalie tandems.
Certainly, he will need to play more to show whether he can turn his season around, but it's hard to earn your coach's trust if you can't stop the puck. If he isn't going to start, then maybe the club needs to put him on waivers and look for other options. The prospect of him making it with another team is a tough one to consider, but I think that greener pastures might be the answer,
Trading Primeau isn't an option
The problem for Kent Hughes and the Habs is that Primeau's poor season diminishes his value. I don't imagine that many teams are looking for a 25-year-old goaltender, who seems to lack confidence. Indeed, goalies take longer to develop, but generally, if they don't put it together by 25, it's starting to seem like an NHL future is unlikely.
I do have a feeling this may be his last season in Montreal, and if somebody else doesn't take the reigns next year, then Montreal will explore their options. It was a feel-good, second-generation NHLer story, but the Canadiens need to win games. It's important that the team gets better and has confidence in the guy between the pipes.
I don't think that the team plays their best when Primeau is in the net. It shouldn't matter who is in the net, the team should play the same way. But for whatever reason, they seem to play tense and afraid to make mistakes, rather than loose and creative.