The Montreal Canadiens and goaltender Cayden Primeau could soon be parting ways.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis told reporters this afternoon that Primeau will be placed on waivers tomorrow, which will allow all 31 other teams to scoop him up.
The NHL is currently still in its set roster freeze, which occurs every year over the holiday break and is why the transaction will take place tomorrow.
Primeau, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2017 draft, has shown flashes of potential at the NHL level throughout his 55 games, but his inconsistencies have made him tough to trust. He’s had a horrendous start to the 2024-25 season, posting a 4.7 goals against average (GAA) along with a .836 save percentage (SV%) in 11 appearances.
Given Primeau’s immense struggles this season, teams may be hesitant to put in a claim. That said, he has a cap hit of just $890,000 and is set to become an RFA on July 1.
Earlier in the day, the Canadiens announced that they recalled goaltender Jakub Dobes from the AHL. The 23-year-old has yet to see NHL action in his career but is having a solid season with the Laval Rocket, compiling a 2.44 GAA paired with a .910 SV% through 14 appearances.
Of course, Primeau isn’t entirely to blame, as the Canadiens have had major struggles as a team this season. They currently sit 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 14-17-3 record, which has them seven points shy of the Ottawa Senators for a wild-card position.
The Habs are currently the only Canadian team outside of the playoff picture. It’s been quite the start for the other six, as this would mark the first time at least five Canadian teams have gotten in since the 1985-86 season.
