Cayden Primeau is a promising young goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, but his recent performances have been inconsistent. With that said, the Canadiens must be patient with Primeau and allow him to develop his skills over time. One player that they can look to as an example is Sam Montembeault, former goaltender for the Florida Panthers and current starter for the Canadiens.
Montembault Developed Slowly
The Panthers drafted Montembeault in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He spent two seasons playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) before making his NHL debut in 2018-19. He played in just 11 games in his first season and posted a save percentage (SV%) of .894. The following season, he played 14 games with an SV% of .890. Despite these less-than-stellar performances, the Panthers remained patient with Montembeault and continued to develop his skills.
In the 2021-22 season, his first with the Canadiens, Montembeault played 38 games with a save percentage of .891. While these numbers are not particularly impressive, they are significantly improved over his first two seasons in the NHL. Additionally, he has shown he can play at a high level. This season, he has dramatically improved with a .906 SV% and is currently 14th in the league, with a goals saved above expected (GSAE) of 12.7. This is remarkable, considering Montreal is in the bottom five of the league.
Canadiens Can Learn From Montembeault’s Progression
The Canadiens can learn from the Panthers’ approach with Montambeault in regard to Primeau. Like Montambeault, Primeau is a young goaltender with a lot of potential. While his performances have been inconsistent, he has shown flashes of brilliance, particularly in his first NHL season in 2019-20, when he posted a save percentage of .931 in seven games. This is why the Habs must be patient with Primeau and give him time to develop his skills. He may not be ready to take on a full-time starting role in the NHL, but he could become a solid goaltender with the right coaching and support.
Primeau is only 23 years old and still has time to develop his game and improve his resumé to provide a good judge of what his future will hold. His numbers with the Laval Rocket have been consistently good. He proved in last year’s AHL playoff run he could hold his own in pressure situations, sporting a .936 SV% and almost leading the team to the final. If Primeau can progress like Montembeault, Montreal could have a solid young tandem when they are ready to push for the playoffs in the next few years.
Canadiens Have Other Options
The Canadiens recently signed NCAA standout goaltender Jakub Dobes. In 75 games with Ohio State University, he had 42 wins with a .926 SV%, winning the Big Ten rookie and goaltender of the year in 2021-22. Like Primeau, Dobes had a stellar career in the NCAA, even though it lasted only two seasons. Dobes also projects to be a solid NHL goaltender, and Canadiens fans should get their first glimpses of him this season with the Rocket.
Related: Canadiens Need to Rebuild Goaltending Depth
Fredrick Dichow is another young goalie trying to make his way to the NHL. He plays with Frölunda of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), with an 8-7 record and a .899 SV%. His numbers do not jump out at you, but he was steady in his first season in the top Swedish league. At 22, he should continue steadily developing in the SHL before the Canadiens decide where he will go next and when. Laval is an option, but with Primeau and Dobes there, he could be hard-pressed to find a spot, and Frölunda will be a better spot to develop than the Trois-Riviere Lions of the ECHL.
With Dobes and Dichow just starting the push to a pro career, Primeau has the inside job, but unless he can become more consistent, he could quickly become the odd man out. Montembeault is just starting to show signs of being a legit NHL goaltender and a possible future starter at 26. Primeau is only 23 and still has time to develop and possibly become the goaltender the Canadiens hoped he would be when drafted.
