Insider Proposes 5 Likely Landing Spots For Jake Allen

His name has been at the top of the goaltender trade discussions for much of the season, but with just over a month to go until March 8th, Jake Allen's time with the Montreal Canadiens is getting closer to coming to an end. 

Allen provides very good insurance for a team looking for a solid 1B between the pipes. He's played that role before, and won a Stanley Cup because of it, with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Some team, somewhere, will try to replicate that circumstance this season.

The 33-year-old has a plenty good enough career .908 save percentage along with a 2.73 goals-against average, and solid playoff numbers to boot. 

Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff has offered these 5 likely landing spots for Allen:

1. Colorado Avalanche

GM Chris MacFarland has already made it clear that starter Alexandar Georgiev can't continue with the back-breaking workload he's taken on this season, starting 40 (and playing in 41) of the Avs' 49 games thus far. He's definitely looking for a solid 1B to take some of that load off. 

The Habs will need to retain some of Allen's $3.85M cap hit, even half of it, to make it work, but they've got a retention slot to do it.

2. Edmonton Oilers

No doubt, the Oilers goaltending is no longer a dire situation as it was at the beginning of the season after Jack Campbell's disastrous start and subsequent banishment to the AHL. 

Since then, Stuart Skinner has taken over in the crease, in a big way. Since Kris Knoblauch took over as head coach, Skinner has a 21-4-0 mark with a .925 Sv%. Not too shabby. 

But for a 1B? Allen would be a big upgrade over Calvin Pickard as a playoff safety net. 

3. Carolina Hurricanes

Sitting 30th in the NHL in save percentage, the 'Canes need to make a big splash in net if they hope to go into the playoffs with a legitimate chance at the Stanley Cup. Allen wouldn't necessarily be that splashy add, however. Larkin suggests they'd be better off looking at a Juuse Saros if the Predators consider letting him go.

4. New Jersey Devils

In need of a goaltending upgrade all season, the Devils have been connected to every available puck-stopper on the rumor mill. Is Allen their answer? He's certainly better than their current crop in the crease, but is he enough to get them to the promised land as a starter?

5. Los Angeles Kings

New coach... new goalie? The Kings finally made a move behind the bench over the All-Star Break after finishing the first half of the season in a woeful funk. Will they try a shake-up in net too? 

Photo: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports