A trade between the Montreal Canadiens and the Vancouver Canucks could greatly help both teams in their rebuilding process

PUBLICATION

Julien Trekker
August 29, 2023 (3:40 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

Although the Montreal Canadiens currently have three goalkeepers who can play in the NHL, many observers have indicated that newcomer Casey DeSmith will likely be traded before the start of the regular season.

This would give Samuel Montembeault a much more significant role in 2023-2024, as he is expected to be the number one goalie this year. Montembeault has shown rapid growth with the Canadiens last season and also with Team Canada this summer, earning his spot above Jake Allen in the team's hierarchy.

However, even though Montembeault has shown promising signs since his arrival in Montreal, many experts doubt he will become a top-tier NHL goaltender. If Montembeault turns out to be an excellent backup goalie, Kent Hughes will have no choice but to acquire a quality goaltender to move the team's rebuilding process forward.

"In terms of goalkeepers who have started 40 or more games in 2022-2023, Montembeault was in the top 10 for goals saved above expected, ranking 10th with 11.1 goals stopped, indicating that he can make a difference even on a relatively weak team. At 26, he is in his prime and still has promising potential. However, his ceiling is not that of an elite goaltender but that of an excellent serviceable goalie," said Blain Potvin.

In a recent column published on The Hockey Writers, Blain Potvin mentioned that a trade between the Montreal Canadiens and the Vancouver Canucks would be beneficial for both teams. Knowing that Thatcher Demko will be the organization's starting goaltender for several seasons, General Manager Patrick Allvin might be inclined to trade young Arturs Silovs to improve the team's depth.

Selected in the 6th round of the 2019 draft, the 22-year-old Latvian goaltender excelled with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL last year. Silovs posted a record of 26 wins, 12 losses, and 5 overtime losses, maintaining a 2.44 GAA and a .944 save percentage. He also won the title of MVP and best goaltender at the World Championship this summer, finishing the tournament with a 7-3-0 record, a .921 save percentage, and a 2.20 GAA.

Many experts believe he will become an excellent NHL goaltender, making him a very interesting option for Kent Hughes in his quest to find a replacement for Carey Price. Interestingly, Arturs Silovs was already part of the Montreal organization, having played for the Trois-Rivières Lions in 2021-2022.

While the Vancouver Canucks have one of the weakest prospect pools in the NHL, the opposite is true for the Canadiens. The Canadiens' GM could consider sending some young players like Jayden Struble and Vinzenz Rohrer to help the Canucks improve their prospect depth. These two players would greatly assist the team's veterans and could play a significant role in Rick Rocchet's lineup.

If you were in Kent Hughes' position, would you trade Jayden Struble and Vinzenz Rohrer to acquire Arturs Silovs?