“It would be hard to see Jake Allen go”

Now that Sean Monahan has gone to Winnipeg for a first-round pick (and a third-round pick in 2027 if the Jets win the Stanley Cup in 2024), one wonders what’s next for the Habs.

Will another veteran leave? Will a guy with an ugly contract move on to another team? Will a depth player like Johnathan Kovacevic be sent elsewhere?

It remains to be seen.

But it’s clear that Jake Allen’s name is being bandied about more and more. After all, the goaltender is too much for Martin St-Louis, who has to deal with the reality of a three-way partnership.

It is therefore possible that Allen, who is being shopped by his GM, will be traded soon. David Ettedgui seems to be a firm believer in this, as he thinks the Habs will be trading big chunks of their leadership group between now and March 8.

It’s all well and good to talk about it like that, but the fact remains that in the Habs’ dressing room, it’s a different reality. After all, they’re only tradeable pawns.

These are guys with families.

Of course, NHL players are used to dealing with the reality of rumours. It’s part of the job for them, especially in a context like Montreal.

Allen signed a contract extension with the Canadiens in October 2022, with Kent Hughes as GM. He clearly knew what management’s plan was, we agree.

But the fact remains that the main interested party is in town and wants to stay. Simon-Olivier Lorange reported as much in an article on the La Presse website.

And it’s not the first time he’s said so.

But that’s not what the Habs want anymore (they’ve already worked hard to keep him, both in the Seattle expansion draft and via contract extensions by Marc Bergevin and Kent Hughes), creating rumors in the process.

And Allen is well aware of these rumours. As reported by François-David Rouleau of the Journal de Montréal, what’s different for Allen is that the rumours didn’t start in January or February: they’ve been around practically since the start of the season.

But because he wants to stay in town, and because he has a family he’d have to uproot in the event of a deal, it’s bound to affect him.

It also affects the rest of the team. On this subject, captain Nick Suzuki wasn’t afraid to mention how good Allen is with the others (including Samuel Montembeault) and how difficult it would be to see him go.

He loves this team and this city. We love him too.

It would be hard to see him go. – Nick Suzuki

I still have my doubts about a deal involving Allen this year, and I think it could wait until the summer. Obviously, that would add stress to his family life.

But he’d spend more time in Montreal, a city he loves.

In bursts

– Two years ago, Martin St-Louis arrived in town.

How far can he take the Habs? pic.twitter.com/QAM7o5AMU8

– DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) February 9, 2024

– Is it possible to slow down Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift Patrick Mahomes?[RDS]

– Good question.

– André Savard is 71 years old.

– He’s the talk of the town.

– Joe Flacco beat out Damar Hamlin for Comeback of the Year even though he got fewer first-place votes.