If the Canadiens make a big deal, keep an eye on the goalies

There's no smoke without fire, as they say. Will this apply to the Canadiens' situation in front of the net?

Because right now, the Canadiens' goaltending is starting to look a little smoky. And it's obviously linked to the difficult performances of the club's goaltenders.

Right now, it's clear that the roller-coaster outings of the club's goaltenders aren't making management very happy.

I say there's no smoke without fire since Darren Dreger, at the request of… nobody, brought to the forefront the rumour that the Habs were interested in Jordan Binnington.

But he quickly denied it. He'd heard about it, looked into it, but to no avail.

And then David Pagnotta, on the DFO Rundown podcast, mentioned the fact that a member of another team had told him that if the Canadiens were to make a splash on the market (i.e., a big deal), the goaltending file would have to be watched.

It should be noted that he said this before Dobes' outing against the Jets. That said, one swallow doesn't make a spring…

Does this mean that the Canadiens are indeed looking for a goalie? I'm not saying it's the case at all costs, but it's possible to think that if the price is right somewhere and it fits in with the club's plans…

Note that on another platform (Inside Sports), Pagnotta also mentioned that the Habs (who often host scouts from the Blues recently) potentially had their eye on Jordan Binnington.

David Pagnotta: Re Canadiens: They've had a lot of talks with St. Louis [Blues]; we haven't heard too much about Jordan Binnington and Montreal, but I do wonder with the Habs kind of exploring things, if that's an avenue they at least inquire about – Inside Sports (12/3)

– NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) December 4, 2025

So it's something to keep an eye on, even if it's not necessarily the top priority.

The Canadiens continue to look at all their options – in most cases, it's probably not the goaltending position – and Kent Hughes is well aware of the current state of the transaction market.

Seeing a scorer land wouldn't be a surprise either. Especially if he can play center and fits in with the age range of the rest of the group.

To be continued.

David Pagnotta: Re Canadiens: This is another team that continues to kinda look, they've been a little bit more aggressive lately by the sounds of things overall; the obvious is, again, top six, they wanna add another scorer – DFO Rundown (12/3)

– NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) December 4, 2025

overtime

– The question often comes up.

Has Lane Hutson done enough to earn a spot on #USAHockey‘s Olympic roster?@BWildeMTL: “Lane was sensational… I watch him go into the corner with somebody who's 6'3″, and I watch him leave with the puck “#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/QShTICfB3J

– The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) December 4, 2025

– Gabriel Perreault, too smart for the AHL?[JdeM]

– Listen now.

“The shootout move I want to talk to you about, it's almost Datsyukian.”

Nick Suzuki joins @armdog to talk shootout moves, speaking French and more | On the Couch with Colby, presented by @DrinkBODYARMOR.

Full episode: https://t.co/vk1AcbHoCD pic.twitter.com/Ij0UQYCc8L

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 4, 2025