The organization now only has two goaltenders on its roster after general manager Kent Hughes dealt the most experienced of the three, Jake Allen, to the New Jersey Devils just before the trade deadline. Whatever angle you take, this is fantastic news.
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Due to having three goalies, neither Samuel Montembeault nor Cayden Primeau had enough opportunities to truly demonstrate their abilities. Furthermore, I think Hughes made a mistake by sticking with the three-headed goaltender setup until almost the very end of the campaign. Particularly considering that the only thing the general manager received in return for Allen was a conditional third-round pick from the Devils. The pick turns into a second-round selection if Allen plays 40 games for the Devils the following season and they advance to the postseason. It’s unlikely that he will play 40 games. And there’s a very slim chance that a third-round pick will end up having a significant impact on the Canadiens.
Naturally, many will argue that Hughes kept Allen since there weren’t any takers until last Friday, but considering how the rotation affected Monty and Primeau, I believe Hughes would have been better to place Allen on waivers and let the cards fall where they were supposed to. This is in no way intended as a jab at Allen, who was a fantastic teammate for the Habs. But emotion has no place in the hockey industry. Making gut-based decisions can result in actions such as shackling your team with a bad contract for Brendan Gallagher.
