Goaltending in the National Hockey League is always a hot topic when it comes to transaction rumors, and this is true practically every season.
Having one or even two consistently good goaltenders is a luxury few teams have in the NHL these days.
In general, there are always more teams in search of a goalie than there are teams comfortable with their goalie(s).
In this first batch of teams looking for a goalie, we obviously find the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, who seem to have been looking for a goalie for 21 years.
I’m 21, and to my recollection, I’ve never known either of these teams to have at least one consistently solid goalie.
In short, goalies are a rare commodity in the NHL, especially considering that from one year to the next, it’s often random which goalies perform well and which ones shine.
Indeed, apart from a few consistent headliners like Andrei Vasilevskiy, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck, many goalies seem to come out of nowhere and be good, while others take a nosedive.
In short, goalkeepers are a very special and interesting phenomenon, which explains why many teams are currently looking for a goalkeeper.
The problem with the goalie market, however, is that the teams that have goalies to trade keep their prices VERY high.
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In fact, as renowned whistleblower Elliotte Friedman explains, teams looking for a goaltender are put off by the price they have to pay to acquire one.
Prices are even higher if teams withhold a portion of the salary to accommodate the team receiving the goaltender, if Friedman is to be believed.
So it’s very interesting news that prices on the goaltending market are very high.
It’s very good news for the Montreal Canadiens and Kent Hughes, who have a surplus of goaltenders in the NHL right now.
As we know, the Habs have been managing with a ménage à trois in front of the net since the start of the season, which isn’t exactly ideal, but it’s holding up for now.
The positive record that keeps the Habs close to the playoffs is largely due to the good performances of the goaltenders.
So, yes, the ideal situation would be to trade one of the three goalies, probably Jake Allen or Cayden Primeau, but right now, the Habs have the upper hand, given that this three-way partnership is going well.
At the start of the season, this situation was seen as something to be resolved as quickly as possible, but in the end it persisted and became the norm.
It’s still not ideal or pleasant for Martin St-Louis and his three goalkeepers, but it’s still manageable.
Getting back to the trade market, well, if prices are still high for goalies right now, it could very well end up benefiting Kent Hughes.
A team fighting for the playoffs and looking for a goalie will eventually give in and pay the “big bucks” to acquire one.
That goalie could very well be one of the Habs.
Of course, when I say the big price, don’t expect the moon.
It simply means that the price to be paid is higher than it really would be if the goaltending market wasn’t so popular right now.
The most likely candidate to be traded to Montreal is Jake Allen, who is reportedly of interest to the New Jersey Devils and Seattle Kraken.
Nothing is imminent, however, especially considering that there is a Christmas trading freeze until December 27.
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