There might not be that many goaltenders available to trade, but that department is nonetheless a hot commodity at this moment.
Take goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who is arguably one of the biggest trade candidates this trade cycle. Since the Minnesota Wild expressed their openness to trade Wallstedt, who has formed part of an excellent goaltending tandem with ex-Ottawa Senator Filip Gustavsson, a lot of teams have emerged as candidates to acquire the Swedish goaltending. Teams like the Nashville Predators have been floated as potential destinations, while Montreal could be seen as a team in demand for a goaltender.
That said, Montreal might not need to acquire his services anymore. On Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens announced they were relieving goaltending coach Eric Raymond of his duties. With immediate effect, Marco Marciano - who last worked as the goalie/video coach for the Habs' AHL affiliate the Laval Rocket - took on the position on an interim basis.
Prior to Wednesday's move, Montreal's goaltending hasn't exactly been the cream of the crop. The team's previous bona fide starter Samuel Montembeault had struggled to put solid seasons together since joining from the Florida Panthers. While the Québec native was able to consistenly put solid save percentages on the board, that statistic has recently dipped below where it stood up to the 2021-22 campaign. As well, Montembeault had only been able to post a goals against average below three in just one of his seven seasons in the league.
This year, Sam Montembeault has gone 9-8-2 through his first nineteen appearances, but the underlying numbers are ... concerning. His save percentage stands at .868 on just 539 shots, while his goals against average is almost three-and-a-half-goals per game. He's also conceded at least three goals in each of his last four starts.
While Jakub Dobes' save percentage isn't exactly better - he posted a .909 in his debut season and a .890 so far this year - the general numbers are superior to Montembeault's. Through 24 appearances, Dobes has a 16-5-3 record while conceding just under three goals a game. That final number is slightly higher than that of last year, but it's still well below the Habs' goals against average for this season (3.26).
Despite splitting time between the AHL and the NHL, Jacob Fowler has emerged as a decent goaltending prospect. He does sport a 4-4-2 record through his first ten starts, but he does have a .902 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.62. Even with his impressive start to life in the NHL, the performance-related struggles he experienced upon returning to the Laval Rocket do serve as a potential red flag in his development.
Even with the aforementioned successes and roadblocks in mind, it's more than likely that Kent Hughes and the Habs' front office gives Marco Marciano and the Habs' goaltending trio an opportunity to prove themselves before making a decision on their future.
That said, the opportunity to acquire Wallstedt could dissipate quite quickly. And there isn't going to be much in the goaltending department when free agency hits. Sergei Bobrovsky and Stuart Skinner are going to be viable targets this offseason, but that's really it when it comes to Montreal's needs.
While Montreal does have a young-ish goaltending unit on average, they need to decide whether they're going to capitalize on it or look to shift their focus to an extent. Sam Montembeault is eligible for an extension this offseason; barring a new contract, he will hit free agency the following year. Both Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes will be with the team for at least the next few seasons, while non-roster option Kaapo Kahkonen is going to hit free agency this year.
If Montreal were to take a swing at a goaltender trade, Wallstedt is an intriguing option. For one, he's only 23 years old, which would potentially enable the Habs to get younger in that department. Wallstedt is also on a tear to start the season; through 22 appearances, he's posted a 13-5-4 record, a .914 save percentage, and a goals against average of 2.71. That is an improvement on both Dobes and Montembeault's numbers, while also serving as a significant upgrade on the Habs' goaltending averages this season.
In all, there's an argument for both sides. One could argue that Wallstedt is enjoying a strong season and that he is worth the investment of at least a few years of the Habs' goaltending program. It's also possible to argue that the goaltending unit hasn't been as bad as that of others like the Ottawa Senators; as long as Montreal can outscore their defensive woes, they should be able to hold off the Florida Panthers and remain in the playoff picture.
I lean slightly towards the former argument. Yes, the Habs goaltending hasn't exactly been the worst in the league, but it hasn't exactly been world-beating either.
Andrei Vasilevskiy. Jeremy Swayman. John Gibson. Those are only some of the goaltenders that Montreal could potentially have to contend with in a seven-game playoff series.
It's also worth noting that the Habs were fighting for a division title not that long ago. But with their recent slump and immediate rivals like Buffalo and Boston getting hot, the Habs will likely be forced to hold off the Florida Panthers and half the Metropolitan Division for that final wild card spot.
If Montreal is to do that, strong goaltending is required. Long-term aspirations and contract issues aside, I can't see the current trio helping Montreal to win four of seven games against a team like Tampa Bay or Carolina. I'm not going to advocate for the entire goaltending unit to be broken up and shipped across the league, but there needs to be some sort of change to go alongside the behind-the-bench move.
If I were Kent Hughes, I'd try seeing what Sam Montembeault's market looks like. He's the oldest of the three goaltenders Montreal's fielded this year and he only has a $3.15 million cap hit. And not only would the Canadiens save some money after acquiring Wallstedt, but it would allow for Montreal's goaltending unit to get six years younger.
There's still a case to make for Montreal to at least stand pat until the March 6th deadline and see both how the goaltending fares under their new goalie coach in addition to how the trade market evolves if at all.
But if Kent Hughes is to turn the ship around and salvage high playoff seeding, then another change might be a must.