Jake Allen vs Ryan Johansen: an idea discussed at BPM Sports today

This morning, a report that Jake Allen had been traded to the Avalanche was shared on Twitter.

At the time, we all thought it was good news because the Habs had just solved their damn problem in front of the net…

But it didn’t take long for the various NHL experts to refute the rumour, which was raised by Matt Murley, a guy who is associated with the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and has a total of 90,000 followers on X / Twitter.

Even though there’s been no transaction, the subject came up on Georges Laraque and Stéphane Gonzalez’s show and Martin Lemay’s show today on BPM Sports.

It caught my attention because, on both shows, the guys wondered whether a Jake Allen vs. Ryan Johansen deal could be made at some point.

The idea was discussed because, in reality, the two veterans have almost the same salary.

Johansen has a cap hit of $8 million per season, but the Nashville Predators withheld 50% of his salary before sending him to Colorado last summer…

And Allen, as we know, has a cap hit of $3.85 million.

Allen’s contract expires at the end of the 24-25 season, as does Johansen’s…

On paper, at least, there might be some logic to the idea:

Would you trade Jake Allen for Ryan Johansen?@MartinLemay discussed the possibility of this deal coming to fruition… or not! pic.twitter.com/eoXOx0MeeT

– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) February 15, 2024

There are two sides to this.

Yes, the Habs would allow themselves to settle the ménage à trois by trading Jake Allen to another formation.

That would help Cayden Primeau, who needs to play as much as possible to develop in the right way.

But where it gets a little more disturbing is when you consider Ryan Johansen’s attitude.

We’re talking about an extremely talented guy, and we’re talking about a good hockey player who’s at the end of his career… But above all, we’re talking about a player who’s good when he wants to be. And if his performance over the past two years (47 points in 109 games) is anything to go by, he’s not often tempted.

The Habs are rebuilding and need some veterans to solidify the base. The older players are there to guide the younger ones, and that’s true too.

That said, therein lies the problem with Ryan Johansen.

He’s no longer motivated even though he’s playing for one of the NHL’s best teams. Knowing that, I tell myself there’s no way he can help the youngsters progress in Montreal.

Again, the idea of trading Jake Allen to solve the problem in front of the net is a nice one. But at what price?