One of the biggest hot-button issues surrounding the Montreal Canadiens this season has been their decision to keep three goalies at the NHL level.
And while many thought the Habs’ crowded crease, which includes Sam Montembeault, Jake Allen, and Cayden Primeau, would be resolved by now, keeping all three until the offseason is becoming a real possibility.
As a recent guest on the RDS program L’Antichambre, Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes discussed the likelihood of a goalie trade.
Un gros merci à Kent Hughes d'être passé nous voir ce soir à l'@Antichambre 🤝 pic.twitter.com/LvgycEsuTz
— RDS (@RDSca) January 9, 2024
When asked whether he would like to finish the year with the trio, Hughes said “I think there’s a possibility,” but clarified that it’s not his objective.
The GM also pointed to signing Montembeault to an extension last month as one reason trade talks have been delayed.
“At the start of the season, the important thing for us was that Sam [Montembeault] was not signed,” Hughes explained. “If we had made a trade without having signed him and Sam leaves at the end of the year, we may have ended up with one goaltender instead of three.”
And speaking of Montembault, Hughes also revealed that he has no intention of trading the 27-year-old.
“We wouldn’t have signed Sam if we wanted to trade him. It’d be easier to trade him without a contract,” he said.
As for the other two, Hughes did not miss the chance to thank Allen and Primeau for their professionalism throughout the somewhat awkward rotation stretch.
“We’re lucky that the goaltenders are very professional. They’re all part of the fabric of the team. They understand the situation,” he said. “I have to give credit to those two goalies for their approach.”
Nevertheless, the GM, known for making bold deals, will not hesitate to make a deal if the price is right.
“There are teams that everyone talks about in the media that need a goalie,” he explained. “The goal is to make a trade.”
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