Jake Allen: a new team may try to acquire him

The Canadiens’ 2023-24 season will soon be three months old, an “anniversary” that will be “celebrated” in ten days’ time. And as you know, the number 3 has been the talk of Montreal this season because of the Tricolore’s trio of goaltenders since the start of the season.

No one seems to really like it, just about everyone can’t wait for it to be over… but on this January 4, there are still three goalies in town. And sometimes, I imagine how messy it would have been if Casey DeSmith hadn’t been traded before the season started.

From the outset, we’ve known that a trade involving Jake Allen is a more than realistic avenue to end the situation. However, for one reason or another, it hasn’t happened yet… and we can assume it’s because the Habs haven’t yet got “their price”.

In fact, according to Friedman, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving recently tried to offer a sixth-round pick to various teams in return for a goaltender, but couldn’t get it. Now, while he doesn’t say that Kent Hughes had that offer on the table for Allen, he does say this:

Allen is definitely available, he has one year left on his contract, but the Tricolore is asking for a bigger price. – Elliotte Friedman

So we don’t know exactly what Hughes is looking for in a goaltender… but what we do know is that a late-round draft pick won’t be enough. The Tricolore GM knows that goalies are a rare commodity across the NHL this season, and he can afford to be patient to get his price.

It’s not for nothing that Brad Treliving has been feeling out the market: Ilya Samsonov is no longer capable of stopping a beach ball and Joseph Woll is injured. Add the fact that several other teams (the Devils, Hurricanes and Wild, among others) are having various problems in front of the net, and it’s understandable that Hughes is trying to wear down his counterparts.

Remember that Friedman said in the last few days that he doesn’t think the price for Allen is astronomical, but obviously, it will take more than a sixth-round pick to get him out of Montreal. One might think that the goalie’s contract is scaring teams right now.

We’ll have to see what happens over the next few weeks, because as Friedman notes, no one is willing to pay the Habs’ asking price right now.

In brief

– The Habs congratulate Lane Hutson on his performance at the CMJ. He’ll be playing for gold tomorrow against Sweden.

Lane Hutson has been chosen as one of the top three American players at the #MondialJunior

Congrats to Lane Hutson for being named one of USA’s top 3 players at the #WorldJuniors

Chris Tanouye/IIHF#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/3EJ3tQNVrC

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) January 4, 2024

– Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie traded for big money in the WHL.

– What do you think?

Speaking on Le Retour des sportifs with @datgregtho, Bob Hartley praised the new Women’s Professional Hockey League. He believes that the NHL and Gary Bettman owe it to themselves to support the FPHL.https://t.co/rxzEAL4cFG pic.twitter.com/SfOBaQeCQ0

– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) January 4, 2024

– Dalvin Cook joins the Baltimore Ravens for the playoffs.

– Again and again, LeBron James.