While goaltender Casey DeSmith was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins last month, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes was not shy to admit that he is open to trading him.
During the Canadiens’ annual golf tournament on Monday, Hughes touched on the Habs’ uncomfortable goaltending situation, which currently includes four NHL-ready netminders — Jake Allen, Samuel Montembeault, Cayden Primeau, and DeSmith.
“It’s certain that there are two goalies that would have to go through waivers,” Hughes explained in French after he was asked about the logjam between the pipes.
When the topic of DeSmith came up, Hughes made it clear that the 32-year-old, who was also present at the golf tournament, was likely to be the odd one out.
“We are open to making a trade at the beginning of the season,” he revealed.
While they only need two goalies on the starting roster, the Canadiens also have the option of keeping three goalies at the NHL level and settling for one less skater.
And if a trade involving DeSmith can’t be finalized in the coming weeks, that’s something that management may have to consider.
“I think it’s something we’ve discussed, but not something we’ve made a decision on,” Hughes said.
Head coach Martin St. Louis also briefly chimed in on the netminder dilemma, saying that a decision could be made over the next week.
“I think we have good options,” the coach said. “It’s a decision we’ll have to make in the coming days.”
Despite being the most likely to leave, DeSmith posted better stats than anyone in Montreal with a 3.17 GAA, and .905 SV% over 38 games with the Penguins last season.
With one year remaining on his deal, the New Hampshire native carries a cap hit of $1.8 million for the 2023-24 season.
Follow Channels and Categories