Plot twist: a talented goaltender could become available for free for the Canadiens
In the last few hours, we have learned that the Philadelphia Flyers have put Carter Hart's name on the trading block. Of course, given the Canadiens' situation in the net, the club has been linked to the 24-year-old goalie.
However, one thing is for certain, the price to acquire him would be very high, too high in fact for Kent Hughes, who announced to his team that he would not be in the race to acquire him.
It is possible that Samuel Montembeault's reassuring performance this year, along with his excellent performances at the last World Championship, convinced them to give him a chance for next year.
However, in the last few minutes, important new information has surfaced thanks to the reputable Frank Seravalli. He has almost confirmed that the Devils' goalie, MacKenzie Blackwood, will not receive a qualifying offer from his organization. He would therefore become an unrestricted free agent as early as this summer.
Just two years ago, he was considered one of the promising goalkeepers in the world, but Blackwood's value has steadily dropped due to a combination of injuries and inconsistent performances.
Over the last three years, he has played 82 games with a save percentage of .897. It is possible that the Devils will try to find a buyer willing to give Blackwood a chance in exchange for a late draft pick, but every team knows he will otherwise become an unrestricted free agent.
Wow! That's a big turn of events for the New Jersey Devils, as Blackwood was perceived just two years ago as a rising star in the NHL.
Now aged 26, he could certainly become a very good bet for a team looking to solidify its goalie tandem, with a 1A and 1B formula, much like we saw in Boston this year with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
As my colleague William Nadeau from Habs and NHL rightly mentioned, "Would you trade a 6th or 7th round pick for Blackwood? If not, would you offer him a 2 or 3 year contract with an annual value of 1.5 to 2.5 million dollars as a free agent?"
At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 pounds, if he could stay healthy, he could become a very solid goalie in the NHL again.
Credit: HabsetLNH.com
| POLL | ||
Would you offer MacKenzie Blackwood a 2 or 3-year contract as a free agent with an annual value of 1.5 to 2.5 million dollars? | ||
| Yes | 64 | 61.5 % |
| No | 40 | 38.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
