The Montreal Canadiens are currently grappling with a perplexing goaltending situation, a conundrum that arose from their recent acquisition of goaltender Casey DeSmith from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the Erik Karlsson trade last month. General Manager Kent Hughes had candidly informed DeSmith that his tenure in Montreal would be brief, but unforeseen challenges have surfaced in the process of trading the netminder.
Jonathan Bernier of the Journal de Montreal reported that the Canadiens’ front office had initially anticipated a swift departure for DeSmith, likely within days following the Jeff Petry trade to the Detroit Red Wings. However, these anticipated moves failed to materialize as expected, leaving them in a holding pattern. Bernier writes:
A source within the Habs’ general staff confirmed to the Journal two weeks ago that another trade was expected to be announced within days of the one that sent Petry home to Michigan. We are still waiting for it.
Hughes said to the goalie and his agent when he was acquired to give them a little time and be patient, but it appears now, everyone is in a holding pattern.
Bernier comments that management staff are, “We are still waiting for it.” demonstrates that this quick trade has not panned out as expected at all. There is a belief within the organization that the team can eventually get a deal done, but it’s not clear what the trade is going to look like as the Canadiens have quickly learned there’s no market for goaltenders and all 32 teams have their netminders in place. Any team that is questionable on what they have wants a clear upgrade. Again, Hughes has asked DeSmith to be patient.
What If the Goalie Trade Market Doesn’t Improve?
With a quiet goaltender market, there are potential issues for the Canadiens that they’ll need to address before the season starts. The first is Hughes possibly going back on his word that he wouldn’t place one of his three bigger names in the minors.
GM Kent Hughes now faces a challenging predicament, navigating the presence of three goaltenders, including DeSmith, with a preference to rely on Samuel Montembeault and Jake Allen during the NHL season. The necessity for patience in a sluggish goaltender market has become increasingly apparent, and it remains to be seen how Hughes will address this ongoing goaltending dilemma for the Canadiens.
Next: Bruins May Make Final Pre-Season Trade Push for Mark Scheifele
