Is keeping Cayden Primeau in Montreal a risk for the Canadiens?
Cayden Primeau's struggles have been a big issue for the Montreal Canadiens, but is sticking with him a significant risk for the team?
As seen on The Hockey News, despite the team's desire to be "in the mix" this season, contention is unlikely after the disastrous beginning of the season.
Cayden Primeau's has a 2-3- record, a 4.45 GAA and an .844 save percentage which shows the ongoing goaltending problems.
He has really shaky confidence, a weak glove hand and his positioning issues are even further concerns.
But, is this enough to abandon him? From a developmental standpoint, it appears that it's not the right decision to take.
The Canadiens are in a rebuild, and while several players are in "formation," goaltenders face unique challenges because, unlike skaters who have teammates to cover their mistakes, goalies make errors that often result in goals against them.
Calling up Jakub Dobes prematurely could stall his development in this situation and even if Primeau is not that good, the Canadiens have little to lose this season.
Rushing another young goalie might create more harm than good, and patience is key right there.
Primeau's development path has been complicated, which includes setbacks due to the pandemic and it's unfair to discard him without a full evaluation on a better team.
Kent Hughes may wish he had been more aggressive in pursuing a high-potential goalie like Yaroslav Askarov.
However, the best course now is to allow Primeau to continue learning while keeping Dobes in Laval for a more nurturing environment.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Montreal Canadiens should abandon Cayde Primeau? | ||
| Yes | 68 | 76.4 % |
| No | 21 | 23.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
