NHL Rumors: Canadiens Have Interest In Canucks' Goaltender

The once highly touted goaltending prospect for the Vancouver Canucks appears to be in need of a fresh start on a new team. Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic pointed out that Michael DiPietro has fallen behind Arturs Silovs in the goaltending order and DiPietro is a restricted free agent.

With Thatcher Demko the starter, Spencer Martin on a two-year deal as the likely backup, and Silovs starting more games in the AHL, it will be tough for DiPietro to gain any ground.

He has played just three total games in the NHL across three seasons, posting a 5.28 GAA (goals against average) and a .771 SV% (save percentage). That's not the most concerning past as it generally takes goalies a bit of time to get used to the higher speed of the game and harder shots. What's concerning and another reason why he should be on the move is the drop in play from 2020-21 to 2021-22. He had a .916 SV% two seasons ago but dropped to a .901 this past season.

The Canadiens are understandably interested since they don't have any clear replacement for Carey Price down the line and have the opportunity to add a netminder to the mix alongside Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau. It likely won't cost a whole lot and would be a smart move by the Canadiens. We'll see how this plays out in the coming weeks as there isn't any rush.