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Kent Hughes is no longer messing around with his goaltending situation. The Canadiens are seriously looking at the market for help in net.
Over the past few days, several insiders have repeated the same thing. The Canadiens’ general manager is active on the phones and is testing the value of Jordan Binnington, Elvis Merzlikins, and Tristan Jarry, while also keeping an eye on the Buffalo Sabres’ situation.
“The other interesting thing that I started to hear in the last few days, and I don’t have any direct confirmation from anybody within the team, but goaltending is starting to be a bit of a big concern.”
– David Pagnotta, DFO Rundown
Meanwhile, the Samuel Montembeault situation continues to stir conversation in Montreal. After 13 games this season, the 29-year-old Quebec goaltender has a 5-5-0 record with a 3.61 goals-against average and a .861 save percentage. He just bounced back with a 31-save game in Vegas, but his season overall has been inconsistent, and the organization can no longer ignore the numbers.”David Pagnotta added: “They’ve had a lot of talks with St. Louis [Blues]; we haven’t heard too much about Jordan Binnington and Montreal, but I do wonder with the Habs kind of exploring things, if that’s an avenue they at least inquire about.”
– Inside Sports
Kent Hughes keeps all options open
Let’s look at the targets being discussed. Jordan Binnington, 32, carries a $6 million per year contract through 2027 and is having a mixed season, with a goals-against average around 3.20 and a save percentage below .878.
Elvis Merzlikins, 31, makes $5.4 million per year through 2027 and has already publicly confirmed that he requested a trade out of Columbus, while posting numbers around 3.50 and .895 this season.
In Pittsburgh, Tristan Jarry carries a $5.375 million per year contract and is coming off a start to the season marked by a lower-body injury.
Before going down in early November, he had a 5-2-0 record, a 2.57 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage, which keeps him on the radar for teams seeking an established goaltender.
In Buffalo, the situation is different but intriguing. Devon Levi, 22, already has 39 NHL games under his belt with a 17-17-2 record, a 4.12 goals-against average, and a
.872 save percentage.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was just sent to Rochester for conditioning after two injuries, which could force the Sabres to make a medium-term decision in their three-goalie setup.
For Kent Hughes, everything comes down to price and cap hit. Binnington and Merzlikins bring big numbers against the salary cap, Jarry as well, while Levi would be more affordable but far harder to acquire.
The Canadiens must decide whether to spend some of their future assets to stabilize the crease now. One thing is certain: with rising pressure around Montembeault and the emergence of Jakub Dobes, the goaltending situation is officially the hottest topic in town.
Now it’s your turn: which of these goaltenders fits best with the reality of the Montreal Canadiens?
Previously on All Montreal Hockey