NHL Trade Watch: Four Goalies Who Could Help Contenders in the New Year

Christmas is just around the corner, and there are a number of NHL contenders potentially shopping for a new goaltender to add to their array of presents.

Since the league implemented a salary cap in 2005-06, trading for a good netminder in the middle of the season has become more challenging for playoff contenders. Executing such a move likely means trading from a position of weakness so opposing teams can name their price.

From a goalie’s perspective, moving away from a settled role and maintaining that level of form in a new environment while playing behind a new set of defensemen is much easier said than done. The pressure applied to a goalie in such a scenario is incredibly high since fans are expecting results that make an immediate difference to the team.

The goalie market, nonetheless, is shaping up with a few playoff contenders struggling at the position – either due to injury or poor performance – and a few teams carrying three quality netminders. A significant trade chip came off the board just before the start of the season when Winnipeg re-signed Connor Hellebuyck to a rich seven-year extension. 

A lot has happened since Tony Ferrari listed seven affordable goalies to pursue on Nov. 11 as well, which makes some netminders even more tradable to teams with goaltending woes.

The Edmonton Oilers, most notably, lost their patience with Jack Campbell and placed the 31-year-old on waivers in just the second year of his five-year, $25-million deal. The early season performance from Stuart Skinner wasn’t much better, as he posted a paltry .865 save percentage in his first 13 games. The 2022-23 Calder Trophy finalist, however, has since improved by winning seven consecutive starts prior to the team's 7-4 loss to the Lightning on Thursday.

Goaltending issues have caused the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils – two teams projected to battle for Metropolitan Division supremacy this season – to fall down in the playoff picture.

The Hurricanes’ goaltending duo of Antti Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov have combined for a lacklustre .879 save percentage since Frederik Andersen was sidelined with a blood-clotting issue in early November.

Vitek Vanecek has been a major disappointment in his second season as the Devils’ primary goaltender, posting a .883 save percentage and 3.33 goals-against average in 18 games. Akira Schmid, a 2018 fifth-round draft pick, helped the Devils advance through the first round of last year’s playoffs, but the 23-year-old has yet to regain that form this season.

The trade deadline is still nearly three months away, but waiting too long in hopes of finding signs of improvement can carry an element of risk and potentially dampen the chances for playoff hockey.

Following up on November's list, here are some goalies who could be up for grabs that could help out a contender:

Jake Allen, Montreal Canadiens

The veteran goaltender winds up in the rumor mill with the Canadiens extending Sam Montembeault to a three-year, $9.450-million deal earlier this month. The move leaves the Habs with three goaltenders under contract until 2025, so something has to give.

Allen has over 400 games played and a 2.73 GAA on his career stat sheet. He’s an attractive option to teams with some cap space and seeking a veteran netminder on a friendly contract. Cayden Primeau has seen his development stall this season and could also be subjected to trade talks. The 24-year-old netminder, however, is still an unproven commodity at this point in his career.

The Habs are winless in Allen’s last seven starts, but the lack of goal-scoring is mostly to blame. Allen is likely a better fit for teams seeking a short-term fix, such as Edmonton or Carolina.

James Reimer, Detroit Red Wings

Like the Habs, the Red Wings have the same problem of carrying three capable goalies on their roster. Reimer is the lone netminder on an expiring contract, making him an obvious trade candidate.

The 15-year pro is off to a solid start on a Red Wings team that’s taking a big step forward this year. An affordable $1.5-million cap hit makes Reimer an intriguing sell-high target for teams seeking an upgrade in the secondary role. The Los Angeles Kings could be a logical fit, with them having a few million available in cap space.

His potential departure would free up more starts for Ville Husso and recent standout Alex Lyon, who has looked impressive in six starts this season.

Kaapo Kahkonen, San Jose Sharks

The 27-year-old Finnish goaltender has the very difficult task of stopping pucks behind a bad San Jose blueline. Despite the circumstances, Kahkonen has a positive Goals Saved Above Expected of +4.0 through 14 games this season.

Considering that the Sharks are at the very bottom of the NHL pecking order, almost every commodity should be available for trade. Having won four of his last six games – all against mostly quality opponents – Kahkonen is a prime trade target, capable of contributing in the playoffs this season.

His contract is set to expire at season’s end. With the Sharks in full rebuild mode and goalie prospects Eetu Makiniemi and Magnus Chrona knocking on the door, there is little reason to hold on to the Finnish netminder who could provide them with a second or third-round draft pick.

Karel Vejmelka, Arizona Coyotes

The 27-year-old Czech goaltender came off an impressive sophomore season for the Coyotes in 2022-23, recording career bests in every metric. Vejmelka has delivered consistent performances for some bad Coyotes teams since debuting as a development-camp invitee nearly three years ago.

He started this season as the undoubted No. 1 in Arizona, but Vejmelka has seen his time between the pipes dwindle in favor of Connor Ingram, who has outshone him. Ingram has won 11 of the 16 games he’s started in net for the Coyotes, so you can expect coach Andre Tourigny to continue riding the hot hand.

The rebuilding Coyotes are looking to add draft picks and have the financial capability to take on a bad contract. The Oilers could be willing to spare a draft pick to get Campbell’s contract off their books while filling a need at the goaltending position.