Prospect Info: Cayden Primeau

[montreal]

I wouldn't read too much into it as it's 2 games. This kid had one of the best age 18 and age 19 seasons in the NCAA. He didn't have rebound control there, or the WJC's, or in the AHL. He's had some trouble getting beat on his stick side in the past. He needs to work on puck handling skills but I do think he will easily be an NHL goalie and likely a good starter at some point.

Assuming we lose Allen, it will be interesting to see what MB does next year as you must have a goalie that can spell Price for chunks of the season. As the injuries have to be taking their toll on his body at this point. Having Primeau, McNiven in the AHL gives us solid depth. Maybe they keep Demchenko around to see how he does as they kind of owe him for just giving him 3 starts in the AHL this year.

 

[Bee Holder]

I wouldn't read too much into it as it's 2 games. This kid had one of the best age 18 and age 19 seasons in the NCAA. He didn't have rebound control there, or the WJC's, or in the AHL. He's had some trouble getting beat on his stick side in the past. He needs to work on puck handling skills but I do think he will easily be an NHL goalie and likely a good starter at some point.

Assuming we lose Allen, it will be interesting to see what MB does next year as you must have a goalie that can spell Price for chunks of the season. As the injuries have to be taking their toll on his body at this point. Having Primeau, McNiven in the AHL gives us solid depth. Maybe they keep Demchenko around to see how he does as they kind of owe him for just giving him 3 starts in the AHL this year.

IF we lose Allen, I wouldn't be mad about beginning the starter transition next year between Price and Primeau (around 50-55 for Price, around 25-30 for Primeau). I personally don't think it would be too soon for that kind of load share, but maybe I'm wrong and you guys have good arguments against it. I just don't want insult or passive-agressive-ness

 

[montreal]

IF we lose Allen, I wouldn't be mad about beginning the starter transition next year between Price and Primeau (around 50-55 for Price, around 25-30 for Primeau). I personally don't think it would be too soon for that kind of load share, but maybe I'm wrong and you guys have good arguments against it. I just don't want insult or passive-agressive-ness

it's hard to say since he played so little this year in Laval, I'd rather he get one more year in the AHL. But I'm really high on him so I think he could do the job.

 

[thewall]

He needs to work on his rebound control.especially with our D, he's kicking them right in the slot, a recipee for disaster.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Primeau turns 22 today.

 

[Schwang]

This team's goaltending situation really concerns me. 1 drafted guy at camp and he's not even considered a good prospect. The other 2 draftees who aren't there aren't considered great prospects either. They have no one who stands out after Primeau, and I'm still not sold on him yet. Even IF Primeau makes it or falters, who's in the system to start developing? Even if they draft a strong guy this year, that's at least 2-3 years before that guy gets into Laval.

 

[Colezuki]

This team's goaltending situation really concerns me. 1 drafted guy at camp and he's not even considered a good prospect. The other 2 draftees who aren't there aren't considered great prospects either. They have no one who stands out after Primeau, and I'm still not sold on him yet. Even IF Primeau makes it or falters, who's in the system to start developing? Even if they draft a strong guy this year, that's at least 2-3 years before that guy gets into Laval.

Price regardless has 5-6 years remaining on that contract, it's likely he'll be running down over that time, Primeau has 2 more years in the A with Allen floating around, that means he'll be ready for full time duty then to take over and potentially transition into a 1b/1b situation, if we draft a goalie in the 2nd/3rd round this year that gives him plenty of time to come and be ready.

 

[Schwang]

Price regardless has 5-6 years remaining on that contract, it's likely he'll be running down over that time, Primeau has 2 more years in the A with Allen floating around, that means he'll be ready for full time duty then to take over and potentially transition into a 1b/1b situation, if we draft a goalie in the 2nd/3rd round this year that gives him plenty of time to come and be ready.

I don't think that gives them as much time as you think. Regardless of the length of contract, the question is Prices health and how long he can perform as a number 1. I think Allen is ufa after this season, but it might be next season. Then we assume that a goalie drafted in the 7th round will make the NHL in the next year or 2? He is considered a good prospect, but as I said, I'm not sold on him. I watched every Laval game last year, and even with bad competition, he wasn't that great. Nor was he good when called up. I think this season (if it's a normal one) will tell the tale.
So again, IF he makes it or IF he falters, there's a shortage of any potential "star" or "blue chip" goaltenders in the system. Even if they draft a great goalie prospect this year, that guy isn't even making Laval for 3 years. Then he plays at least 1, maybe 2 years before the NHL. IF Primeau hasn't made it, that's a lot of time without an heir apparent to Price.
Of course, one of the other guys in the system could also come out of nowhere and be great, but none of them are considered top goalie prospects.
They're betting on a 7th round goalie right now to step up in the next year or 2.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Price regardless has 5-6 years remaining on that contract, it's likely he'll be running down over that time, Primeau has 2 more years in the A with Allen floating around, that means he'll be ready for full time duty then to take over and potentially transition into a 1b/1b situation, if we draft a goalie in the 2nd/3rd round this year that gives him plenty of time to come and be ready.

Price has 5 years left (age 34-38). I say he has 3 or 4 good years left and hard to predict the last year or two at age 37/38. But from age 34-36, he's still a star to me in net. Overpaid yes but still can steal games away and he shows up for prime time. A good back up to keep him rested and a good team D is something I support.

Regardless of Primeau being a starter or not, we should be drafting a few goalies in the next draft or two. I would not worry about it too much cause goalies are not that hard to find in the UFA market. Look at the Canes this off season... lost two good ones and got two more quickly.

 

[dcyhabs]

Price has 5 years left (age 34-38). I say he has 3 or 4 good years left and hard to predict the last year or two at age 37/38. But from age 34-36, he's still a star to me in net. Overpaid yes but still can steal games away and he shows up for prime time. A good back up to keep him rested and a good team D is something I support.

Regardless of Primeau being a starter or not, we should be drafting a few goalies in the next draft or two. I would not worry about it too much cause goalies are not that hard to find in the UFA market. Look at the Canes this off season... lost two good ones and got two more quickly.

Most goalies decline, like most players, as they get into their thirties, but there are certainly exceptions. Price has shown significant wear and tear so contingency plans are good, though the team has to hope they don't have to replace him soon.

Primeau's NHL stats are pretty good. His AHL stats depend on how you consider Laval's defense.

The habs will need a replacement before long, but that depends on the next few seasons. If Price fades and the team is not good it's time to tank anyway, get the goalie last.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Most goalies decline, like most players, as they get into their thirties, but there are certainly exceptions. Price has shown significant wear and tear so contingency plans are good, though the team has to hope they don't have to replace him soon.

Primeau's NHL stats are pretty good. His AHL stats depend on how you consider Laval's defense.

The habs will need a replacement before long, but that depends on the next few seasons. If Price fades and the team is not good it's time to tank anyway, get the goalie last.

Elite level goalies don't decline that fast and Price is in great shape and lean. When you talk about Price, you can't mix him in with the whole bunch of goalies. Mix him in with the elite. There are many cases where they are very effective from 34-36 range. I've been hearing that Price is done for far too long now. He's still a star to me from age 34-36.

I would draft more goalies but I'm not getting desperate with it. Primeau and others we can draft and we can trade or sign other goalies. I'm not worried about it

 

[dcyhabs]

Elite level goalies don't decline that fast and Price is in great shape and lean. When you talk about Price, you can't mix him in with the whole bunch of goalies. Mix him in with the elite. There are many cases where they are very effective from 34-36 range. I've been hearing that Price is done for far too long now. He's still a star to me from age 34-36.

I would draft more goalies but I'm not getting desperate with it. Primeau and others we can draft and we can trade or sign other goalies. I'm not worried about it

I'm more worried about his hips and knees holding up than about his general physical condition. I agree that many elite goalies were good when they got older, but Price hasn't been consistent the last few years. I'm not saying he's done, but there are concerns. The new coach is working on trying to reduce the wear and tear. We'll see when he comes back and how he plays when he does, he's not skating yet last I heard.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm more worried about his hips and knees holding up than about his general physical condition. I agree that many elite goalies were good when they got older, but Price hasn't been consistent the last few years. I'm not saying he's done, but there are concerns. The new coach is working on trying to reduce the wear and tear. We'll see when he comes back and how he plays when he does, he's not skating yet last I heard.

His hips and knees could possibly hold him back but we really don't know to what level that has bothered him. What was the exact reason you remember him being held back at the end of the last regular season?

 

[Schwang]

I'm more worried about his hips and knees holding up than about his general physical condition. I agree that many elite goalies were good when they got older, but Price hasn't been consistent the last few years. I'm not saying he's done, but there are concerns. The new coach is working on trying to reduce the wear and tear. We'll see when he comes back and how he plays when he does, he's not skating yet last I heard.

What concerns me too is if they hadn't have made the playoffs last year, we'd be having very different conversations about Price.

 

[dcyhabs]

His hips and knees could possibly hold him back but we really don't know to what level that has bothered him. What was the exact reason you remember him being held back at the end of the last regular season?

Good question, I don't remember what his injury was last year, or if there were details beyond "upper/lower body injury." Could be the same stuff he was operated on for in the off season, I suppose, hips and knees. Both are bad if they give out, lots of players are never the same after.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Good question, I don't remember what his injury was last year, or if there were details beyond "upper/lower body injury." Could be the same stuff he was operated on for in the off season, I suppose, hips and knees. Both are bad if they give out, lots of players are never the same after.

Makes me wonder... cause they were not in a playoff spot when the elected to rest Price but maybe they had confidence in Allen and wanted Price to be 100% rested. Hard to know one way or another

 

[Big Empty]

I’m not sold on Primeau at all.

If there was interest, I wouldn’t hesitate to move him.

 

[abo9]

I wouldn't read too much into it as it's 2 games. This kid had one of the best age 18 and age 19 seasons in the NCAA. He didn't have rebound control there, or the WJC's, or in the AHL. He's had some trouble getting beat on his stick side in the past. He needs to work on puck handling skills but I do think he will easily be an NHL goalie and likely a good starter at some point.

Assuming we lose Allen, it will be interesting to see what MB does next year as you must have a goalie that can spell Price for chunks of the season. As the injuries have to be taking their toll on his body at this point. Having Primeau, McNiven in the AHL gives us solid depth. Maybe they keep Demchenko around to see how he does as they kind of owe him for just giving him 3 starts in the AHL this year.

Is a 90.9 SV% considered solid in the AHL? Because at the NHL level it's not great. Has he looked good in the AHL?

I've played goals and my rebound control would be bad when the play or the shots were too fast. And if it's a technique thing, rebound control limits the number of shots on net and greatly helps the team reorganize defensively. So it concerns me a little that Primeau apparently has had bad rebound controls for a while. Hopefully something that can be fixed!

I agree with those thinking that we need more goalies in the pipeline - having only 1 "good" prospect is really scary (forget talent, what happens if Primeau sustains an injury or doesn't want to stick around once a UFA?).
That said, 22 is so young for a goaltender... lots of time for him to get better.

 

[JoelWarlord]

I'm not exactly sure what people think the state of goalie prospects is around the league if Primeau, plus McNiven, Dichow, Dobes, and Vrbetic is a cause for concern. It's always good to improve everywhere whenever you can, and I certainly wouldn't have a problem with the Habs adding more goalie prospects if they can find a good one in trade or get value at next year's draft, but I'm not really sure where this idea that our goalie pipeline is weak or something that needs to be urgently addressed comes from. We've just been spoiled by having Carey Price for so long that we think it's normal for a goalie of the future to come in at 20 and demolish the AHL. Primeau's 22 and absolutely destroyed Hockey East at 18 and 19, and has been a solid pro goalie at 20 and 21 since then.

If you look around the league there's four teams (the ones that have Asakrov, Knight, Cossa, and Wallstedt) which you can definitively say have better goaltending prospects than Montreal, and we had no plausible chance to get any of them at a reasonable cost. After that? Maybe the Stars/Ducks/Sabres if you like Oettinger/Dostal/UPL? Again, I just don't think people have an accurate view of goalie prospects around the league if they think Montreal's pipeline is in some way anomalous or a reason for urgent concern. 20+ teams in the NHL would absolutely love to swap all their G prospects for all of ours, Primeau is as good a bet as anyone in the league after the top 4 G recent 1st round prospects, and Dichow/Dobes/Vrbetic are just as good dice rolls on 6'6" projects as what any other team has.

I also seriously do not understand the fixation on Primeau being a 7th rounder, Pekka Rinne and Henrik Lundqvist were 8th/7th rounders, Jaro Halak was a 9th rounder, Bobrovsky was undrafted, 17 year old goalies are incredibly hard to project and scouts get it wrong all the time with draft aged players, remember when we burnt a 2nd rounder on Zach Fucale? It is completely meaningless to get worked up about where Primeau was drafted four years ago, I genuinely do not understand why anyone thinks that matters one iota or that it somehow puts a cap on his ceiling. He went late because he had bad numbers in the USHL at 17 and then went on to be an absolute superstar at 18 and 19 in a top NCAA conference. Why do I give a shit about his draft position due to USHL numbers 5 years ago when he's outshined his peers at the NCAA and AHL level since then? It just doesn't make any sense 4 years out from a draft when we have track records in far more valuable development leagues to look at.

 

[Schwang]

I’m not sold on Primeau at all.

If there was interest, I wouldn’t hesitate to move him.

This organization hasn't drafted a solid goalie since Price. I find that concerning. I've been saying for over a year that I'm not sold on Primeau either. They aren't prepared if Primeau can't step up.

 

[Schwang]

Is a 90.9 SV% considered solid in the AHL? Because at the NHL level it's not great. Has he looked good in the AHL?

I've played goals and my rebound control would be bad when the play or the shots were too fast. And if it's a technique thing, rebound control limits the number of shots on net and greatly helps the team reorganize defensively. So it concerns me a little that Primeau apparently has had bad rebound controls for a while. Hopefully something that can be fixed!

I agree with those thinking that we need more goalies in the pipeline - having only 1 "good" prospect is really scary (forget talent, what happens if Primeau sustains an injury or doesn't want to stick around once a UFA?).
That said, 22 is so young for a goaltender... lots of time for him to get better.

He really hasn't looked that great in the ahl. He hasn't even been the starter in a full season yet. This year will tell the story.

 

[Mark9988]

This organization hasn't drafted a solid goalie since Price. I find that concerning. I've been saying for over a year that I'm not sold on Primeau either. They aren't prepared if Primeau can't step up.

Primeau won't be any better than Lindgren, but what can anybody expect?

Goalie prospects don't get any chance to play and prove themselves, and that won't change until Price is gone.

Our goalie prospects just rot away,

You want goalie prospects to turn into starters, they need to be given more playing time,

You give them the backup role, you don't aquire guys like Montoya, niemi, allen, etc etc, you give the backup job to primeau, mcnevin etc etc, that is how you turn a prospect goalie into a starting goalie

 

[Schwang]

Primeau won't be any better than Lindgren, but what can anybody expect?

Goalie prospects don't get any chance to play and prove themselves, and that won't change until Price is gone.

Our goalie prospects just rot away

I partly agree with you, but if you're good enough, an organization finds a way. It's not like vets haven't been moved for up and comers before (and yes, I'm aware of Prices contract)

 

[Big Empty]

This organization hasn't drafted a solid goalie since Price. I find that concerning. I've been saying for over a year that I'm not sold on Primeau either. They aren't prepared if Primeau can't step up.

The good thing is that goaltender is the easiest position to fill. Good goalies become available every summer. Grubauer, Fleury, etc.

 

[SakuKoivu11]

I think he’s NHL ready. Just needs to play NHL games.