Zachary Fucale's Future in Montreal

Zachary Fucale: His Future in Montreal

Zachary Fucale is a 20-year-old goaltending prospect for the Montreal Canadiens. Fucale was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. With trade talk surrounding the Canadiens, ever-active General Manager, Marc Bergevin, may be taking calls on Fucale. Before ever playing an NHL game, Zachary Fucale‘s name seems to be circulating in trade rumours. This article will discuss Zachary Fucale’s future in Montreal by focusing on his competition, his trade value, the likelihood of a trade and his team’s needs.

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Fucale’s Competition:
Zachary Fucale has competition in the Montreal crease. The Canadiens are counting on all-world goaltender, Carey Price to stick around for the foreseeable future. Backup goalie, Mike Condon, has solidified his position in the Canadiens lineup after an impressive stint as starter when Price went down with a lower-body injury. Condon had to battle for the backup role with last year’s backup, Dustin Tokarski through training camp. Tokarski has played only 6 games for Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Saint. John’s IceCaps thus far this season. Zachary Fucale, however, has played 10 games for the IceCaps. Though neither of the goalie’s statistics are staggering thus far, they are both fairly young and are seeing game time that is sure to help them grow and improve.

Apr 11, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Dustin Tokarski (35) warms up before playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The age of the goalies in the Canadiens’ system may be what indicates a potential trade. Carey Price, the starter, is 28 years old. Price’s backup, Mike Condon, is 25. Dustin Tokarski is 26, and Zachary Fucale is 20. These goaltenders are all similar in age, and the Canadiens have other needs that could be addressed with dealing one of these goalies. Zachary Fucale is the most likely to move, if any of these goalies are traded, as he has the highest perceived value (other than Price, of course). It is unclear whether Zachary Fucale will be a starting goaltender for the Canadiens in the future.

Trading one of these goalies isn’t a must by any means. The Canadiens are deep at the goalie position right now, but remember when Carey Price, who is considered one of the best goaltenders in the world, was drafted in 2005? Hockey analyst, Pierre McGuire said that the Canadiens have too many goalies in the system and that choosing Price wasn’t a smart move. Price ended up finding his way to the NHL and became the Habs’ starter, and the arguable face of the franchise. Habs’ General Manager, Marc Bergevin believes that a team can never be too deep on defence – and in this case, the Habs have a good amount of potential options in nets for future years.

Fucale’s Trade Value and the Likelihood of a Trade:
There is no doubt that Zachary Fucale has high trade value, as he is expected to one day become a solid NHL goaltender. His potential ceiling is fairly high, and there are many teams around the league that are in need of a young, skilled goaltender for their future. Fucale represented Team Canada at the 2015 World Junior tournament, where Team Canada won gold. At 20-years-old, Fucale will continue to develop for the next couple of years, and should be ready for an NHL role soon enough.

The Canadiens are in need of a top-6 forward to compliment their lineup and truly make them a Stanley Cup contender. General Manager, Marc Bergevin, has expressed that he would rather not acquire a rental player – he would prefer a player with term left on his contract. Zachary Fucale has value, and could help Bergevin pull the trigger on a big deal. If any NHL team is likely to make a big trade any time soon, it’s the Habs.

The Canadiens may not be extremely likely to trade their young goaltender, however, Marc Bergevin has proven that he isn’t afraid to pull the trigger if the right offer surfaces. If trading Fucale brings in the right return, it can conceivably happen. Clearly the Canadiens appreciate their General Manager’s wheeling and dealing skills, as they recently extended his contract through 2021-22. Maybe the Canadiens’ GM will be able to celebrate his contract extension by making a big trade.

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Final Thoughts:
It is almost certain that the Canadiens will attempt to pull off a deal for a top-6 forward at some point this season. The Habs will have to entice their trade partners by offering young prospects like Zachary Fucale or defenceman Jarred Tinordi along with draft picks. Ultimately, if GM Bergevin feels that this is the year to push for the Stanley Cup, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to let go of some prospects or picks in order to improve his team. That said, every NHL GM knows that they shouldn’t completely sacrifice their future in order to make a playoff run. Marc Bergevin has proven in the past that he can pull off impressive bargain deals (i.e. Tomas Fleischmann). Bergevin will once again look to add a piece to his team, while getting the appropriate return. Zachary Fucale will most likely be an NHL starting goaltender one day, however, there are no guarantees that Fucale will start for the Canadiens.

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