Could Zachary Fucale make a return to the Habs?
Since the start of the 2024-25, the Montreal Canadiens' goaltender tandem has been struggling here and there.
On Samuel Montembeault's side, some games have been more difficult and he has been showing some inconsistency, but he has also been able to offer good performances and his team chances to win.
However, for his teammate, things have been different. In the past weeks, many hockey fans as well as a few insiders have spoken about the possibility of trading Cayden Primeau or putting him on waivers to send him back to the Laval Rocket due to his play this season.
In fact, the American-born goaltender has been struggling since October. His statistics can tell as he has two wins in 11 games played, a GAA of 4.70 and a save percentage of 0.836 which are considerably way under the expectations for an NHL goaltender.
Due to his difficult outings, many have been looking at solutions to replace Primeau and find a better backup for Martin St. Louis' team. The names of Jakub Dobes and Connor Hughes, the goaltender tandem of the Laval Rocket, have been mentioned in the rumours, but nothing has been done yet. Both goaltenders are currently playing pretty well in the AHL.
Can Zachary Fucale be a solution for the Habs next year?
In the past days, insider Kevin Weekes posted on X that Zachary Fucale, drafted in the 2nd round of the 2013 NHL draft by the Habs, was looking to come back to the NHL.
The 29-year-old goaltender is currently playing in the KHL, but could make a possible return in the Bettman circuit next year.
Considered as one of the best goaltenders in the KHL for the past two years, many teams could show interest in the Laval-born goaltender.
In 71 games with the Chelyabinsk Traktor in 2023-24 and 2024-25, Fucale has a 38-25-6 record, a GGA of 2.13 and a save percentage of 0.929.
Last year, he was nominated for Best goaltender of the year in the KHL, but Daniil Isayev was the one rewarded with the trophy.
Fucale has played mostly in the AHL before heading to the KHL. In 2022-23, he played with the Hershey Bears and won the Calder Cup.
In the Bettman circuit, he played four games in 2021-22 for the Washington Capitals. He had a record of 1-1-1, a GGA of 1.75 and a save percentage of 0.924. He never played for the Habs.
A few weeks before being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens back in 2013, Fucale won the Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads along with players such as Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and MacKenzie Weegar. At that time, Dominique Ducharme was also his head coach.
With a possible comeback in the NHL and such good stats, do you think Fucale could be a good backup to replace Primeau and help Montembeault next year?
| POLL | ||
Do you think Zachary Fucale could be a good backup to replace Cayden Primeau and help Samuel Montembeault next year? | ||
| Yes, we could give it a shot. | 39 | 37.9 % |
| No, I prefer Primeau. | 6 | 5.8 % |
| No, I prefer Dobes or Hughes. | 49 | 47.6 % |
| No, I prefer a trade. | 9 | 8.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
