It is no secret the Montreal Canadiens are looking to move one of their goalies. However, now the Canadiens can be even more patient and wait for the best deal.
As NHLRumors.com has written, the Canadiens have options with all three of their goalies Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault, and Cayden Primeau. More so Allen and Primeau than anyone else, given Montembeault signed an extension with Montreal.
NHL Rumors: Montreal Has Gained Flexibility in Goalie Market
A market that included the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils got a bit more crowded with the Carolina Hurricanes and Los Angeles Kings in need of goaltending.
As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet noted on Saturday Headlines as part of Hockey Night in Canada.
“The goaltending market has become hotter for a few reasons,” said Friedman. “The Carolina Hurricanes put Antti Rantaa on waivers. They’re looking around. The L.A. Kings have Pheonix Copley getting an MRI. The belief is he’ll be out for a little bit of time. They might look for a backup for Cam Talbot.”
With Raanta clearing waivers and reporting to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, the Canes are relying on Pyotr Kochetkov to solve their goaltending woes. However, help might be on the way in the form of Frederik Andersen.
Andersen has been out of the lineup because of blood clots and will resume skating in the next seven to 10 days. However, even though Kochetkov has played well, that does not mean the Hurricanes are not looking to add.
As GM Don Waddell told Hurricanes media, the team has been looking at the available goalie market for the past few weeks.
“We’re willing to do something, but we really believe in Freddie and Kochetkov long-term… If we can upgrade the position, we have to continue to look at it,” Waddell told the media.
NHL Rumors: Canadiens Continue To Weigh Options With All Three Goalies
That is a third team that could be in the running for Allen’s services. Now add in the Los Angeles Kings, who announced that Pheonix Copley is going on LTIR, they could be in the market for a backup as well.
The Kings will bring up David Rittich, however, having a steady backup like Allen could give the Kings an even better tandem than they already have.
So with four teams looking for goalies, the price for Allen is going to go up. Again the Canadiens hold all the cards here. Montreal has been quietly playing the waiting game to see which team will come calling first.
Because outside of Allen, there are not many big options out there for teams. And the teams with three goalies is getting thin. Detroit had three goalies but Alex Lyon is injured, so James Reimer is not moving right now. As Friedman notes, Columbus has three goalies and Spencer Martin could be on the move.
And as we have seen with a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning, teams will try to survive until their goalie comes back. Hence why Allen did not get traded earlier in the year. So maybe that is what the Hurricanes and Kings do until they find someone.
NHL Rumors: Holiday trade freeze, goaltending market, and the Olympics
However, a team like the Kings could call about Cayden Primeau as well. But Montreal sees him as part of the future. However, that does not mean if the price is not right they could not trade him away.
Right now the advantage is in Montreal’s court. The holiday freeze coming up, the Canadiens and general manager Kent Hughes can continue to wait until the right deal comes along.
Montreal holds the keys when it comes to trades being made in the goalie market.