Montreal Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault may believe the Jake Allen trade shows the Habs have faith in him (from ‘Samuel Montembeault a tenu a remercier Jake Allen,’ le journal de montreal, March 9, 2024). That’s actually been proven true for months, ever since they signed him to a three-year extension.
What the Allen trade did do instead was show the Canadiens actually have faith in Cayden Primeau as his backup. Primeau responded to that vote of confidence with arguably the most impressive game of his career, a 41-save shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 12.
It was just the second game since the trade deadline. Considering Primeau only got his first start of the season 13 days in due to the nature of the three-goalie system, it’s likely the start of a trend for the better now that only two gratefully remain.
Related: Yes, Canadiens Did Feed Primeau to Lions Once Again
The problem is, with only 17 games left, it’s not as simple as giving Primeau just the other half of back-to-back games down the stretch, with Montembeault being the clear No. 1. Only two such games remain. It’s a similar story with clear non-playoff opponents (three).
Primeau vs. Montembeault
With the Canadiens falling into that latter category, they actually have a chance to give Primeau much more playing time down the stretch, without fear of falling further out of the playoff race. Truth be told, some may welcome such a scenario, as the Habs had been just four points back from the fourth-from-last Blue Jackets before Primeau’s latest one-man performance in the art of irony.
The Canadiens are now six points ahead of the Blue Jackets and seventh from last in the standings, with higher chances in the NHL Draft Lottery being the only thing within their reach. All that to say, they shouldn’t get hung up on things like labels, when they can take this as a real opportunity to see what Primeau has got.
Some may argue that’s already true in the sense Primeau is 24 and has gotten starts dating back to 2019. All he has to show for it is a career 3.51 goals-against average (GAA) and .889 save percentage (SV%). However, Montembeault was about to turn 25 when the Canadiens picked him up off waivers ahead of the 2021-22 season as an at-the-time career minor-leaguer.
Montembeault really only started to turn heads as someone who could serve as a competent NHL backup in his second season with the team (at Age 26). And, while his stats don’t exactly jump out on the page this season (13-12-5, 3.14 GAA and .904 SV%), it’s clear from his overall effort level that his aforementioned extension was at the very least a worthwhile risk to take.
Most would argue, Montembeault’s established himself as the Canadiens No. 1 goalie, even if not a legitimate No. 1 in general. So, if Montembeault’s a late-bloomer, why can’t Primeau be, especially when, as a Mike Richter Award winner (just like Connor Hellebuyck, Thatcher Demko and Jeremy Swayman), he was seen as having huge upside not that long ago in the grand scheme of things, even as a seventh-round pick once upon a time (2017).
Hell, Buffalo Sabres goalie (and Montreal native) Devon Levi is a fellow-seventh-round pick (2020). He just won the award in consecutive seasons, and you don’t have to look back nearly that far for suggestions among fans and analysts alike that the Canadiens should make a play for him, even as he somewhat stumbled out of the starting gates of his NHL career, relatively speaking.
When Canadiens Should Play Primeau Next
With any top prospect, a level of patience is required. It’s no different with Primeau, especially considering the defensive struggles of the team in front of him. In spite of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, the Canadiens have at best been mediocre in the regular season whenever they’ve deemed him fit enough to start.
That’s true now too. However, what’s different is, for the first time in his career he hasn’t been buried on the depth chart and positioned to get just the scraps of the goalies above him. Sure, Montembeault is the “starter,” but that shouldn’t matter right now… even if it’s incredibly unlikely they turn to Primeau for a second start in a row against the Boston Bruins on March 14, even if he has the hot hand.
If there was ever a time to experiment, now is it. However, realistically speaking, they only wait until this coming Saturday, March 16, to start Primeau again, against the Calgary Flames, one of the clear non-playoff opponents that remain, on the road. Assuming they go with a traditional 70-30 split, maybe even as low as 60-40, seeing as Montembeault has never played more than 40 games in one season, here are all the remaining games the Canadiens should give his new official backup in Primeau:
Calgary Flames – March 16 (road)
It honestly would be odd under normal circumstances for the Canadiens to go right back to Primeau two games later even after giving Montembeault the Stanley Cup-contending Bruins. Normally, a team would of course give their undisputed starter several games in a row. However, if you can’t give Primeau all three of the games coming up against clear non-playoff teams, what are we even doing here?
Really? What was the point of finally trading Allen if all you’re going to do is just continue to play Primeau every 15 days or so? The Flames present Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis with an opportunity to give Primeau a similar show of confidence after general manager Kent Hughes just did the same.
Seattle Kraken – March 24 (road)
Montembeault makes sense as the starter for the two road games the next week against the playoff-bound Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks. By virtue of the Kraken being an odd Sunday evening game (and another non-playoff opponent), Primeau could get the start then.
Of course, Montembeault will theoretically be completely rested, three days following the Canucks games. So, this could go another way altogether. However, with the Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes next up, this would be Primeau’s only chance to get in for a while, at least presumably in St. Louis’ eyes.
Florida Panthers – April 2 (home)
The Eastern Conference-leading Florida Panthers represent the toughest hypothetical challenge for Primeau on this list. If there was any doubt, look back to Nov. 30, when he lost 5-1 to them in arguably his worst loss of the season. It was at least the loss in which he posted a season-low .828 SV%.
In that regard, the Panthers wouldn’t just represent a challenge, but a test too. The obvious must be stated, in that, while Primeau looked excellent against the Blue Jackets, they’re not exactly known for their finishing ability. The Panthers are (even if they’re ranked just eighth in the league with 3.32 goals per game).
With Vladimir Tarasenko having joined the pack at the deadline too though, this game admittedly has the potential to get ugly. That would be true were Montembeault in net too, though. Based on the make-up of the schedule, you kind of need to start Primeau.
New York Rangers – April 7 (road)
The New York Rangers are obviously a tough opponent too. However, the Canadiens face them on the second half of back-to-back games. The Toronto Maple Leafs represent the first half… at home… on a Saturday night. One hundred times out of 100, you’re giving that game to your de facto starter, leaving Primeau the Rangers.
Ottawa Senators – April 13 (road)
The Senators are the last remaining team the Canadiens face not currently in the hunt for a playoff spot. It stands to reason St. Louis has already assigned the game to Primeau in his mind.
However, just because the Senators are a bad team, it doesn’t mean they’re a gimme by any stretch. Primeau actually gave up five goals against them in a 6-2 loss on Jan. 18. Considering the Habs got outshot 17-6 in the first, 37-23 overall and then lost 4-1 to them a few days later on Jan. 23 (with Allen in net), St. Louis doesn’t need to worry about Primeau’s performance but rather that of the team as a whole.
Detroit Red Wings – April 16 (home)
This is the last set of back-to-back games of the season, both coming against the Detroit Red Wings in a home-and-home series. Specifically, the April 16 contest is the very last game of the season. As it’s at the Bell Centre, you could argue Montembeault has earned it. However, you could look at it another way: Montembeault’s earned the day off instead.
If you’re St. Louis, you’re in all likelihood giving Primeau one of the two games. If you’re giving him the Senators on April 13 (and you should; see above), you’re probably hesitant to start him twice in a row (which would be the first start in the set of back-to-back games).
So, the last game it is, against a potentially desperate opponent, who’s currently in a tie with the New York Islanders for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. With 3.42 goals scored per game, the Red Wings may actually represent the hardest opponent Primeau is hypothetically going to face, especially if you take into account how it could come down to that one game for the Wings. One way or another, he’s probably going to face them in one of the two last games. It might as well be the very last one, in front of the fans. You know what? He’s earned it, himself.
