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3 Goaltenders Emerging as Early NHL Trade Candidates
Lets take a look at a trio of NHL goaltenders who are prime trade candidates to get moved this season.
The trade winds are beginning to pick up across the NHL. And, there are a number of teams who are starting to figure out exactly what direction they want to head. The American Thanksgiving holiday weekend is always a check point for general managers and now several teams around the league are creating wish lists, identifying players across the league who could be available.
Zoning in on the crease with today’s piece, let’s highlight the goaltending trade market. Elite goaltending is hard to come by across the NHL and a slew of underachieving teams now know getting a save is a lot harder than it sounds.
Related: No Trade Imminent Between Canadiens and Oilers, Says Insider
As trade chatter across the league amplifies, here’s a trio of goaltenders who are prime trade candidates:
Mackenzie Blackwood, San Jose Sharks
The Sharks are trying to find some young talent they can develop. GM Mike Grier will be active leading up to the trade deadline in March. Grier has been able to pull off a few big trades since taking over the reigns and Blackwood could be included in the next deal.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old is a prime trade candidate out of sunny California. With another season left on his contract, he offers acquiring team some security in net for the 2024-25 season. Blackwood, like the Sharks has struggled this season and it’s been ugly at times. But, that’s more on the team than the goaltender. So far in 15 appearances, he’s only managed two wins and owns a .897 save percentage.
It wasn’t long ago Blackwood was considered one of the best up-and-coming goaltenders in the league and unfortunately it looks like a fresh start in San Jose isn’t going necessarily to plan. One scenario to watch here would be Blackwood being moved to the Edmonton Oilers for Jack Campbell and a couple of draft picks which could be a move right up Grier’s ally as it would allow the team to secure some more draft capital moving forward in their rebuild.
Samuel Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens have pulled off the unthinkable to this point, carrying three goaltenders on their roster. Montembeault is one who increased his stock considerably last offseason when he was a stud in the crease for Team Canada at the World Championship, posting a .939 Sv.% in seven tournament apperances.
This season, the crease is crowded in Montreal. Montembeault, a pending unrestricted free agent has been, like the team in front of him, a touch inconsistent. It’s only a matter of time before the team moves one of their netminders out.
Montembeault is a prime trade candidate as he holds no trade protection and is signed for $1 million this season against the cap. A .908 Sv.% is decent considering the Canadiens defensive struggles. But, if he was on a better team where the amount of high-danger chances were limited, the sky is the limit for the undrafted netminder. One thing’s for sure, he’s emerging as a trade candidate as the Christmas season approaches.
Jack Campbell, Edmonton Oilers
As mentioned above, Campbell finds himself on the list but will be the most complicated to move. The veteran netminder has three seasons left on his contract at $5 million per. He is currently trying for wins in the American Hockey League.
It’s been quite the fall from grace for ‘Soupy’. He went from being picked as a Vezina candidate this season to now riding the bus in the minors. He did pick up his first AHL shutout of the season recently, but he lost again on Saturday. The Oilers are hopeful this will help build some confidence to turn things around.
If Edmonton ends up moving on from Campbell, who holds a 10-team no-trade clause, it will cost GM Ken Holland significantly. Word is a first and third-round pick could need to be included to sweeten the pot. A wild turn of events, as it was only just last postseason when Campbell had four Stanley Cup playoff appearances and posted a 1.02 GAA and a .961 Sv.%.
Will Any Of These 3 Early NHL Goaltender Trade Candidates Be Moved?
Nevertheless, the trade chatter across the league is picking up in a major way. GMs are starting to figure out exactly what avenue they want to venture down. For the Oilers, Sharks and Canadiens, goalie trades seem inevitable.
Who gets moved first could depend on which team feels the most pressure to make a deal.
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