Cayden Primeau is Finished in Montreal

The Montreal Canadiens are shaking things up between the pipes, finally making a move to depose of backup Cayden Primeau, placing him on waivers as of Saturday.

Martin St. Louis says Cayden Primeau goes to waivers tomorrow. Jakub Dobes makes his NHL debut vs. Panthers
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) December 27, 2024

While Primeau heads out, youngster Jakub Dobes moves in. And he'll be thrown straight into the fire, making his debut on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, per head coach Martin St. Louis.

Primeau made 11 starts this season for Montreal, posting a woeful .836 save percentage with a 4.70 goals-against average. He fared much better last season, with a .910 Sv% and a 2.99 GAA. But overall in 55 games across the last five seasons, his development has not been impressive, as he has just an .884 Sv% and a 3.69 GAA.

As noted by Marc Dumont in Montreal Hockey Now, Primeau "has no future in Montreal." He will head to the AHL's Laval Rocket if he clears waivers.

As for Dobes, he's off to a fine start in the AHL with the Rocket this season, with a 9-3-1 mark and a .910 Sv% with a 2.44 GAA. He'll be making his NHL debut after two seasons in the AHL following two solid years at Ohio State in the NCAA.

Some would say it's a bit early in his career to call up the 23-year-old netminder, following the same plan they had with Primeau, as Dumont posits. And we can see the results of how that all went.

"It’s a merciful end to what has been a rather confusing and counterproductive development plan," writes Dumont. "While we must recognize Primeau’s numbers haven’t exactly been great in the NHL, Montreal’s handling of the 25-year-old netminder is the perfect example of what not to do when it comes to goaltending prospects."

We'll see if they can avoid that trap with Dobes. But one has to wonder, seeing as his NHL debut is set to come against the Stanley Cup champs.