Two Eastern Conference Teams Officially Linked To Montreal Canadiens Goalie

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Hunter Bowman
December 22, 2023 (5:02 PM)

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The Montreal Canadiens have been among a handful of teams carrying three goaltenders on their roster since the 2023-24 season kicked off.

With the recent multi-year contract extension for Samuel Montembeault, speculation arises that Jake Allen might be traded out of Montreal before March 8th.

Allen, the former Stanley Cup champion, has attracted interest from several teams in recent weeks. Two new contenders have entered the race to acquire him.

According to Pierre LeBrun on TSN's Insider Trading, the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils have expressed interest in Jake Allen. LeBrun stated:

"Yeah, that's the expectation around the league. Montreal did hear from a couple teams over the past week or so that those teams expect to circle back to the Canadiens about Jake Allen. Which doesn't necessarily mean that a trade is imminent, but those conversations will start in a more earnest fashion. Carolina is among the teams that I believe has had a conversation with Montreal recently. New Jersey is a team that has internally debated the Jake Allen idea. We know Martin Brodeur, when he was in St. Louis, spent time with Jake Allen, so he knows him well. I just don't know if the Hurricanes, for example, have decided for sure if they want to trade for a goalie. I think they're trying to wait until Frederik Andersen gets healthy, but not sure if they'll be able to do that."

At 33, Allen has one year left on his contract beyond the 2023-24 campaign, with a $3.85 million cap hit. His contract includes a seven-team no-trade list for the season.

The New Brunswick native has played 13 games for the Canadiens this season, holding a 4-6-2 record with a 3.43 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.

Source: Bladeofsteel