Surplus goalkeepers: Casey DeSmith is currently anxious about his situation

Right now, the Habs have four goalies who should be starting the season in the NHL – if we simply look at their contracts and their eligibility for the balloting process.

We’re talking here, in no particular order, about Cayden Primeau, Samuel Montembeault, Jake Allen and Casey DeSmith.

I think we’ll all agree that, while it’s difficult to create a hierarchy from 1 to 4, we can easily place Primeau as the fourth goaltender on the Flanelle’s organizational chart.

And since his two-year contract could be an impediment to a team wanting to claim him in the balloting, I’m thinking he’ll probably start next season with Laval.

But it’s after that that things start to go wrong.

In my opinion, the Habs shouldn’t start the season with three goalies. With all the forwards and defensemen in town, Kent Hughes will need 21 spots for his skaters.

One of them will have to go. Unless a goalie gets the Matt Murray treatment on his way to LTIR? I doubt it, but who knows?

Logically, we should be entitled to a transaction. And when you consider that Casey DeSmith didn’t speak to management in the days following the deal, that Jake Allen has an impressive contract for an August deal and that Samuel Montembeault has been reassured by his bosses…

DeSmith’s fear of his job is understandable.

DeSmith, who has yet to be introduced to the Montreal media, is currently experiencing a great deal of anxiety, according to TVA Sports reporter Anthony Martineau.

According to his information, the goalie’s wife is about to give birth and is still in Pittsburgh. So not knowing where the couple’s immediate future will be is a stressful time for everyone, reports Martineau.

The goalie knows that Kent Hughes has his family’s future in his hands. And from what we understand, the GM is open to anything.

If the best thing for the CH is to keep DeSmith in town via another scenario, it’ll happen. If the best thing is to send him elsewhere, that’s what the Habs staff will do.

Family or not, the CH has a job to do. I’m sure Hughes wants to help the DeSmith family as much as possible, that said… but not at the cost of setting his organization back with a transaction that’s less good than what he can do.

The feeling I had was that the Habs figured that to get rid of Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick, they were willing to go out and get Jeff Petry and Casey DeSmith and deal with it all afterwards.

And that’s what I think he’s doing right now. There’s been a lot of talk over the past week(and more), but if Hughes wins his next deals, he’ll have accelerated the CH’s future by getting in on the action for Erik Karlsson.

In gusto

– It’s all over in Toronto.

– It’s a done deal.

– Notice to interested parties.

– Logical.

– That helps Toronto.