I read it and agree. Fans can't see qualities like mentoring and leadership when we're watching the games, so it's easy to forget how crucial those qualities are in the development of young players. The presence of a successful vet like Allen makes our goalie prospects better, plus the team can lean on his goaltending rather than crash and burn.
Most NHL teams are asking the same question.
Every team – including the Habs – has prospects with potential. There's a mile-wide gap between potential and actually becoming an NHL goalie... and then another mile to becoming a top NHL goalie. "Potential" is a meaningless word when it comes to goalie prospects.
Who says is cannot be Primeau? some take longer than others to develop and he has shown some really great stretches but still lacks consistency. I hope this year he fixes that but this could very well be his last year to show what he can do before the team starts moving on.
Two of the best goaltenders the Habs drafted in the last 30 years or so were Tomas Vokoun (226th-1994) and Jaro Halak (271st-2003). Seems rare that teams draft a goaltender high anymore, they know for most it's a long apprenticeship to the NHL.
Still say it's too early to write off Primeau, it's not uncommon for goalies to take a while. Even Allen didn't graduate from AHL until 24 after winning best goalie award in 13/14. After the playoffs we saw from Primeau, I could see similar type of season. Especially considering this year should be a stacked roster.
