Now that the Montreal Canadiens have signed Sam Montembeault to a contract extension, fellow goaltender Jake Allen is a player to watch very closely in trade chatter. He has been generating buzz in the rumor mill since the start of the season, but now signs are pointing to him potentially being the odd man out in Montreal.
In a recent article for The Athletic, staff writer Jesse Granger discussed which teams need goaltenders and which trade candidates would be good fits for each of those clubs (from ‘NHL trade board matchmaking: Which teams need a goalie, and who might fit where?’, The Athletic, 12/4/2023). Without any surprise, Allen was discussed in this piece, and Granger views the veteran netminder as a good fit for two teams. Let’s discuss them now.
Edmonton Oilers
The first team Granger mentioned as a potential fit for Allen is the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have been connected to Allen during this season, and NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is one of the many sources who has confirmed that the club has the 33-year-old on their radar. It ultimately makes sense, as goaltending has been the Oilers’ biggest issue during their underwhelming 2023-24 campaign.
After a disastrous start to the season, Jack Campbell was placed on waivers and then sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL). Stuart Skinner has improved a bit over his last stretch of games, but his .881 save percentage (SV%) and 3.16 goals-against average (GAA) show that he has been unreliable more often than not. As for Calvin Pickard, he is primarily an AHL-caliber now with the NHL squad, and he has had mixed results when used. Because of this, adding a goaltender is a necessity for Edmonton, and Allen is one of the many names that they should be looking at.
Related: 3 Canadiens Listed as Trade Candidates by Insider
Allen would certainly be a strong addition for Edmonton if they landed him. He would provide the Oilers with an experienced and reliable 1B goalie. With that, he would take a bit of pressure away from Skinner being the main guy in Edmonton. However, from a financial standpoint, the Oilers would need to move out salary, or the Canadiens would need to retain some salary. The latter is a big ask, however, as Allen is under contract until the end of next season.
Colorado Avalanche
After discussing Allen as a potential fit for the Oilers, Granger brought up the Colorado Avalanche as another. As Granger notes in his piece, the Avalanche will not have backup goaltender Pavel Francouz for the remainder of the season. Due to this, if the Avalanche want to add an experienced netminder to work with Alexandar Georgiev, Allen would be a very intriguing option.
The Avalanche have been running with waiver pickup Ivan Prosvetov as their backup this season. When used, the 24-year-old has been quite effective, posting a .919 SV% and a 2.45 GAA in six appearances. If he keeps this play up, the Avalanche could decide to continue to use him as their backup and not pursue a veteran goalie like Allen. Yet, if the Avalanche want more experience ahead of their playoff run, Allen would make for a nice addition for insurance.
Allen would be a very interesting addition to a team with Stanley Cup aspirations like Colorado. He would give them a goalie with plenty of experience, both in the regular season and playoffs, and that is something that they don’t necessarily have right now. Because of this, we should not rule out the possibility of Colorado making a push for the New Brunswick native this season.
Canadiens Have Decision to Make
Either way, the Canadiens are likely to move one of their goalies this season. With Montembeault extended, it is now down between Allen and Cayden Primeau. With Allen being on the wrong side of 30 and the Canadiens rebuilding, it seems more likely that he will be made expendable rather than a young goalie with promise like Primeau. Because of this, he’s the big Canadien to watch in the rumor mill right now.
We will need to wait and see what the Canadiens end up doing with Allen from here. On paper, the Oilers and Avalanche look like potential fits, and it will be intriguing to see if either club lands him before the deadline passes.
