Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau has dominated the AHL since his demotion earlier this season. Primeau was expected to be the backup goaltender to Sam Montembeault. However, he struggled in the NHL to begin the year. He lost the faith of his head coach Martin St. Louis who would subsequently bench him for ten straight games. Primeau was replaced in the NHL by Jakub Dobes. Dobes has begun his career with an impressive 5-1-1 record and he is also two years younger than Primeau. Despite Primeau’s great play in the AHL, there are question marks around whether he will ever be a full-time NHL goaltender. With his struggles in the big leagues, coupled with Dobes’ stellar play, what is the future of Cayden Primeau with the Montreal Canadiens?
Montreal Canadiens Cayden Primeau‘s Future
Primeau Dominanting in the AHL
Primeau recently won the “Goaltender of the Month” award in the AHL. He has gone 9-0 this season in the AHL with a .923 save percentage and a 1.96 GAA. Primeau has played with the Laval Rocket in the AHL since 2019-20 following the conclusion of his college career. He has always been outstanding at the minor league level. For this reason, many believed he would be the Canadiens goalie of the future and the successor to Carey Price. However, he has never found his footing when transitioning to the NHL.
Cayden Primeau’s Struggles in the NHL
Primeau has already played in 55 games at the NHL level. In those games, he’s put up a disappointing 3.69 GAA and a .884 save percentage. He has only managed 13 wins during his time with the Canadiens. This season he had only two wins before being sent down. Montreal traded veteran Jake Allen to New Jersey at last season’s trade deadline. Management held faith that Primeau and Montembeault could hold down the crease following his departure. This has not been the case, however as Primeau lost all confidence this year in Montreal.
His AHL stint should give the Canadiens faithful some hope but with that being said they don’t appear to have plans to send down Dobes anytime soon. Primeau’s contract expires at the end of this season making him an RFA. At already 25 years old, the clock is ticking on Primeau and if given the chance, his next NHL stint may be his last chance to prove himself to Canadiens brass.
Organizational Outlook in Goal
The Canadiens future in goal is as unclear as it has ever been. Gone are the days of Carey Price dominating the crease year after year. The goaltending position is now a major question mark for the franchise. Samuel Montembeault has been solid for the most part in Montreal if not inconsistent at times. He is not a bonafide starter though and has never been one in his career before coming to Montreal. Dobes has been brilliant over a small sample size but he is still only 23 years old and his true potential is yet to be seen. The best future option in the net for Montreal is prospect, Jacob Fowler.
Fowler, 20 is currently playing out what is likely his final year at Boston College. Drafted in the third round by Montreal in 2023, Fowler has developed into one of the league’s premier goalie prospects. He has dominated at Boston College this year boasting an 18-3-1 record and earning a Hobey Baker Award nomination. Fowler will likely sign with the Canadiens following the conclusion of the college season with nothing left to prove at the collegiate level. He still is a year or two away from the NHL but the future is bright for Fowler.
Montembeault has two years left on his deal while Dobes, like Primeau, is an RFA at the season’s end. With Montembeault locked up and Fowler amongst other prospects in the pipeline, the Canadiens may have to decide who to resign between Dobes and Primeau. If that’s the case then Dobes is the clear favorite. With that being said, Primeau’s time with the Montreal Canadiens may be coming to a close.
Main Photo: David Kirouac- Imagn Images
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