Canadiens Rumors: Montreal GM Provides Update on Goalie Trade

The Montreal Canadiens are a team to watch ahead of the March 8 trade deadline as they will be both buying and selling. The Canadiens have a number of pending free agents who are drawing interest from other teams and so are their goaltenders. Montreal has carried three goalies all season long and while Jake Allen is on every single insider's trade board, it sounds like GM Kent Hughes has other plans.

Hughes recently met with the media and had this to say about his depth in the crease:

We decided to keep three goalies and evaluate the potential trades from there. The plan was not to have three goalies all year. It's still not the plan. But I can't tell you 100% that we'll make a goaltender trade.

Hughes admits he doesn't want to waive 24-year-old Cayden Primeau as it's very likely the 6-foot-3 former seventh-round pick gets claimed. Trading Allen makes some sense after signing Samuel Montembeault to a three-year contract extension, however it sounds like onlooking teams will have to blow Hughes' socks off with an offer.

Allen is a veteran with a winning pedigree and great numbers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He's signed for next season at $3.8 million AAV and holds a modified seven-team no-trade clause. Allen's been linked to the New Jersey Devils and LA Kings recently and was on the radar of the Edmonton Oilers earlier on this season.

The Canadiens are looking to add scoring forwards to their roster and if Allen does eventually get moved, expect to see a talented forward or two heading the other way.