Sportsnet’s proposed three-club deal sends Jake Allen to Colorado

Barring a surprise, we shouldn’t see Jake Allen traded between now and March 8.

Current circumstances don’t favor Kent Hughes…

And there are better goalies on the market.

But there’s still a world in which Allen can be traded if a club panics and can’t get their hands on the goalie they want. With that in mind, Sportsnet has put together a trade involving the Habs goalie and two other NHL teams.

It looks like this:

Jake Allen and Adam Henrique to Colorado
Calum Ritchie, a first-round pick in 2025 (the Avalanche’s), Ryan Johansen and Sean Behrens to Anaheim
Third-round pick in 2026 (the Avalanche’s) to Montreal

In the deal, the Ducks would retain 50% of Jake Allen AND Adam Henrique’s salary:

Then they got a 3-way trade between Colorado, Anaheim and Montreal:

COL gets Adam Henrique and Jake Allen.

ANA gets Calum Ritchie, 2025 COL 1st RD, Sean Behrens, Ryan Johansen.

MTL gets 2026 3rd RDer from Colorado

*ANA retains 50% on both Henrique and Allen.

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) February 23, 2024

For what it’s worth, we agree.

On the other hand…

If Kent Hughes is able to pull a rabbit out of his hat and get his hands on a third-round pick in return for Allen’s services, it’s going to be a party in town.

At least, it should be, because the Habs would have just solved a problem that should have been solved a long time ago.

The idea is interesting, after all, because the Avalanche want to add depth in front of the net. Alexandar Georgiev has been playing too much so far this season, and that’s where adding a veteran like Allen could help, because he knows how to go the distance.

Also, we know how much Jake Allen is struggling this season, but I find it hard to believe he’d be this “bad” with a club like the Avalanche ahead of him.

There are high expectations in Colorado this season, especially with Nathan MacKinnon’s performance since the start of the campaign.

But the question for Denver is this: Is Jake Allen the last piece of the puzzle the Avalanche are missing?