Montreal Canadiens Could Take Advantage Of NHL Goalie Market

The NHL goalie market is beginning to heat up and the Montreal Canadiens could be in a prime situation to take advantage.

With multiple teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Philadelphia Flyers, and Arizona Coyotes and more looking to bolster their goaltending depth prior to training camp, rumblings surrounding names like Jake Allen or James Reimer have started to increase. Montreal Hockey Now learned that Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen’s name has started to pop up again in trade discussions across the league, and despite the uncertainty in net, there is some sense in making such a trade before training camp. The Montreal Canadiens goaltender has been a sought-after commodity dating back to the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline, and the Habs could likely be testing the waters again should they get some good news regarding Carey Price’s health in the coming month.

“Hearing Jake Allen more. Stars or Coyotes make sense. Both teams have looked into him in the past, I know that,” the source told MHN late Wednesday afternoon. “Depending on what happens with Price, it could make a lot of sense for them and the Canadiens. Let’s say Carey’s good to go or close to by the time the season starts. Then, what if [Jake] Oettinger hasn’t been signed by then or he’s holding out during camp, are you taking the chance on Scott Wedgewood and a call-up as your goalies to start the season if you think you’re a contender this year?”

As of this junction, the list of available goaltenders in the NHL via free agency is razor thin, making the search for potential starting goalies or luxury backup goalies a challenging task for teams. With the Canadiens owning three capable NHL goaltenders on their main roster, they may be inclined to trade Allen, who is set to be a free agent next summer, while the value on goaltending is set to be at a premium. The Canadiens could possibly get more to start the season for a player like Allen, especially if a club has a key netminder go down with an injury prior to or during camp, than he would at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Testing the waters on such conversations would be wise for the Canadiens, especially if Carey Price is trending in the right direction.

Although there is interest in Allen, the Montreal Canadiens don’t necessarily have to trade him, but there are a few reasons why moving him before the season could make a lot of sense for the club. The price for a player like Allen was said to be steep last season and leading up to the 2021 NHL Draft, and Kent Hughes’ patience in retaining his asset could ultimately help him get the high price he has set for his luxury backup goaltender. Given the limited amount of cap space and available goaltenders around the league, it could very well be a perfect storm that the Canadiens could pounce on if the right offer comes along.