Canadiens State Of the Rebuild – Current NHL Talent – Goaltenders

You could suggest Cayden Primeau is in the same situation, though his goaltending career has been plagued by brutal usage for longer than his counterpart.

Simply put, Primeau has dealt with a three-headed monster in the crease since the very moment he made the jump to professional hockey. In that sense, his streak of solid starts to close out the year is probably the first time we can legitimately judge his play without having to weigh a bevy of factors that are holding him back.

Consider this.

Primeau hovered below the top 32 goaltenders (GSAA) in the league right up until the Montreal Canadiens traded Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils. Following the trade, Primeau managed to climb to 18th overall in the NHL, ahead of such goalies as Igor Shesterkin.

We also have to keep in mind this is the first time Primeau has produced numbers that you could consider to be encouraging as to his long-term NHL aspirations, which means we shouldn’t get too excited, but again, this was the first time he could focus on starts rather than worrying about the next time his name would be pulled out of the starting goalie sorting hat.

Minor League Progress

Jakub Dobes had a difficult start to his professional hockey career, but the three-headed monster in Montreal also meant the Laval Rocket were shorthanded at a very important position.

Dobes had zero professional hockey experience before being thrust into the spotlight due to the awkward goaltending situation, and it showed.

Fortunately, Dobes is the type of athlete who will not rest until he improves his overall play because he hates losing with a passion.

He showed some improvement early on, but it was clear the rigours of a full season were too much for Dobes and Strauss Mann. It was only after the Rocket signed veteran Kasimir Kaskisuo that Dobes started to settle down.

He finished the season with a very respectable .909 save percentage, and you’d be hard-pressed to argue he was the reason Laval failed to qualify for the playoffs.

If Kaskisuo is amenable to this idea, maintaining the same duo in the crease should lead to improved numbers next season, not only for both goaltenders but the team as well.

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

I still have my doubts as to whether Primeau or Montembeault will ever become a bonafide starter in the NHL.

And that’s perfectly fine.

The era of goaltenders who drag their teams to the playoffs is on its way out, leaving teams like the Winnipeg Jets to wonder what they will do with their expensive situation in the crease.

To make the playoffs, you need four or more star players, decent underlying numbers, and someone who will provide above-average goaltending.

The Habs haven’t quite developed the right number of stars yet, and their possession statistics leave something to be desired, but they have the last part under control. To make matters more interesting, both Primeau and Montembeault are signed to very reasonable contracts, which gives the Habs more financial maneuverability to improve the various other organizational weaknesses.

At best, the Montreal Canadiens can count on two relatively young goaltenders to improve their play now that they can focus on their upcoming games with a little more clarity.

At worst, either Montembeault or Primeau can hold the fort until someone like Jacob Fowler is ready to make the jump to professional hockey.

To put it simply, the goaltending situation is good, not great, and that’s all you really need at this point of the rebuild.

Montreal Canadiens State Of The Rebuild Grade – NHL Goaltending: 7.5/10