Canadiens sign goaltender to multi-year deal

Much of this summer and fall for Habs fans has been spent wondering what will happen with Carey Price and what his long-term health status is. Has he played his last NHL game? Will he return next season? Well, on Saturday, I think the Habs pretty much put the final nail in the coffin of any possible Price return.

With two goaltenders already signed to NHL deals, the Montreal Canadiens have announced a multi-year contract extension for veteran netminder Jake Allen. The pact is for the next two seasons, beginning in 2023-24 and carries a $3.85M cap hit. Allen is entering the final year of his current deal, which pays him $2.875M.

Allen has largely been average in his career, with two standout seasons in 2015-16 and 2019-20, both with the St. Louis Blues. Last year with the Habs, Allen started 35 games, posting a 9-20-4 record to go along with a 3.30 GAA and a .905 SV%.

With the short-term nature of Allen's deal, it would stand to reason that the Habs will look to transition the net over to youngster Cayden Primeau over the next few seasons with Allen as his primary mentor. Samuel Montembeault could remain around as the Habs' 3rd string goaltender.