The Next Chapter in Montreal Canadiens Goaltending

The Habs have finally pared down their goaltending roster to just two netminders. Which one can fully seize the opportunity in front of them?

It's been a long time coming for Cayden Primeau, but he finally seems to have turned a corner in establishing himself as a bonafide NHL goaltender. The Montreal Canadiens even awarded him last month's Molson Cup award after the young netminder went 3-1-1 in five games played, including his second shutout of the season.

Finally seeing some success at the NHL level must be a relief for Primeau, his coaches, his fans, and Canadiens management, after struggling to perform well at the game's top level for a few seasons.

Sam Montembeault, the de facto starting goaltender for the Habs who has had a rather average season, recently signed a three-year contract extension and seems to be set to carry the load for the Canadiens moving forward.

For the remainder of this year, however, I expect to see a pretty even rotation between the two goalies. Primeau needs to build on the confidence and wins he's put forth in the past few weeks, and they both deserve to see regular ice time as the season winds down.

But what happens next year? Does Montembeault automatically get slotted into the starter's position? Or do the Canadiens push for Primeau to grow into a number-one role? If Primeau comes into training camp and preseason putting up competitive, perhaps even aggressive numbers, could he force the hand of Martin St. Louis and Kent Hughes?

And beyond that, how would the Montreal fanbase react if a beloved Montembeault eventually had to take a back seat to Primeau? While there's no controversy in the crease yet, the beginnings of scrutiny around impending goaltending decisions will only grow bigger in the weeks and months ahead. 

On this week's episode of Habs Hockey Report, I explore all the angles of this situation - one that I think is a good problem for the Canadiens to have - and propose some thoughtful questions for viewers to ponder. Click the video to watch the full episode: Montembeault vs Primeau: A Good Canadiens Goalie Dilemma?

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzSqAQ630Zs[/embed]

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