Habs goalie efficiency percentage: all three improved in 2023

At 11:59 p.m. tonight, NHL teams will no longer be able to make transactions. I stand corrected. Teams will be able to make transactions, but they won’t be made official until December 28.

In 2015, Montreal acquired the services of Ben Scrivens during the transaction freeze period, but the news leaked during the freeze.

Seven years later, another goaltender could very well be traded this holiday season, since, as Guillaume LeFrançois mentions in a texton LaPresse, there’s a hecatomb among goaltenders.

The transaction freeze begins at midnight tonight. Unless there’s a last-minute change, the ménage à 3 will last at least another 8 days. The market doesn’t seem to be pointing to a quick solution, but in the meantime, it’s not serving the CH too badlyhttps://t.co/5mu7kARNaa

– Guillaume Lefrançois (@glefrancoisLP) December 19, 2023

He did a quick rundown of the teams that need help in front of the net, and the findings are striking: several teams are in trouble.

Via injury, the Stars, Kings, Red Wings, Kraken, Maple Leafs, Golden Knights and Hurricanes all have at least one goalie on the sidelines. These teams, not to mention the Edmonton Oilers, who are always on the lookout for a goaltender, may take advantage of their winter shopping spree to acquire one.

Many teams, such as the Jackets, Wings and Sabres, like the Tricolore, have a three-goal rotation, but the Canadiens’ are potentially more enticing.

In his text, LeFrançois pointed out that Samuel Montembeault, Cayden Primeau and Jake Allen are in the top-5 in the entire NHL for “stolen” wins. As explained by the journalist, a “stolen” win is “a calculation made based on their performance versus the number of expected goals”.

Four of the five goaltenders in the top-5 have been in the Canadiens’ organization at some point in their careers.

A statistic that doesn’t mean a thing, then. These are the team’s most valuable players in this surprising playoff race.

And for all three goaltenders, there’s also a meteoric rise in efficiency percentage.

An increase of .31 points for Primeau, .14 points for Montembeault and .004 for Allen compared to their last few years in the metropolis: Montreal’s masked men have arguments to keep playing.

But at some point, the three-man rotation is going to have to come to an end. Once again, Kent Hughes has until tonight to make his (official) move before Christmas.

In gusto

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Catch the #LeafsForever Hour on @RealKyper & @jtbourne ft. @SamAMcKee:

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– Too bad.

An uncomfortable stay in Montreal for Leylah Annie Fernandez https://t.co/BQ6NkeX53i

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) December 19, 2023