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Four into two doesn’t go.
That simple bit of arithmetic reflects the dilemma facing the Canadiens as they try to find work for their goaltenders during the coming season.
The plan for the big club is simple. Carey Price is No. 1 and off-season acquisition Jake Allen is No. 1A. Assuming a full 82-game schedule, Allen will be expected to play 30 games and Price will have what the Canadiens hope is a relaxed — for him — 52-game workload.
Finding work for the other four goaltenders presents a challenge.
The development of Cayden Primeau will be a priority. Stéphane Waite, the Canadiens’ goaltending coach, said the organization would like to see him play 150 games with the Laval Rocket in the AHL before he slides into the No. 2 spot behind Price. That’s one of the reasons why Montreal signed Allen to a two-year extension that will carry him through the 2022-23 season.
Primeau played 33 AHL games last season and Waite would like to see him play 40 games in the coming season, although that number could vary depending on the length of the AHL season. The start of the season has been pushed back to Feb. 5 and the AHL has yet to decide how many games it will play.