[Trade] Habs acquire Jake Allen + 2022 7th from the Blues for a 2020 3rd + 7th

[Roof-Daddy]

I wonder how Jake Allen feels about all this. The guy is going into his UFA year guaranteed to be the back up as long as Price doesn't get injured. Not the best way to secure a big pay day.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Price is the reason they need someone like Allan.

If you play Price 50 games a year, he can be rested enough to drag you through at least a couple rounds.

We should’ve learned that with Miikka, instead of playing him 70 games a year for five seasons in a row.

I agree that it would be in the Habs' best interest to keep Price's workload down. That's almost a given.

That doesn't justify giving up a 3rd for the privilege of paying Jake Allen $4.35M when there are a lot of goalies in free agency this year. and when cap space is more valuable than it has ever been.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by habernac

Tons of cap room. And next season's schedule will be compact, which means they can't lean on Price like they have. They need a backup who doesn't give the opposition a free two points if Price doesn't play.

Is anybody sure Jake Allen is that guy?

He had a good season last year, but goalies fluctuate so wildly year to year especially in small sample sizes.

Look at Allen over a larger sample size in the three seasons prior to this one (16/17-18/19):

GP:166
Save Percentage: 0.909
Save % Above Expected: -0.425%
Goals Saved Above Average: -13.0

So sure Allen was great this past season with a .927 save percentage, 0.379 adjusted save percentage, and 11.24 goals saved above average. But it was only 25 games.

I'm not sure that should overwrite that he was below average for the three seasons and 166 games prior to that. Montreal bought high on a guy that had a good season, after he needed to step in in the playoffs since Binnington was bad. But prior to this offseason St.Louis probably would have needed to pay a team to take that contract off them.

Don't get me wrong Montreal needed a better back up. But is Jake Allen really the best you can do with a 3rd round pick and $4.25M of cap space.

Originally Posted by Stanley

Gosh I would take that deal and run

I would want no part of that Price contract.

He shows why he got paid that contract in flashes now, but he been pretty average for most of three seasons now. People look at the playoffs where he was great for 8 games, but forget that Montreal was in 12th place and a big reason was he wasn't that great in net this year...or last year for that matter.

[N26]

Originally Posted by Stanley

Gosh I would take that deal and run

Not so sure myself. It is conceivable that the Price contract is a real untradeable problem in just a few years.

[tkflames]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Is anybody sure Jake Allen is that guy?

He had a good season last year, but goalies fluctuate so wildly year to year especially in small sample sizes.

Look at Allen over a larger sample size in the three seasons prior to this one (16/17-18/19):

GP:166
Save Percentage: 0.909
Save % Above Expected: -0.425%
Goals Saved Above Average: -13.0

So sure Allen was great this past season with a .927 save percentage, 0.379 adjusted save percentage, and 11.24 goals saved above average. But it was only 25 games.

I'm not sure that should overwrite that he was below average for the three seasons and 166 games prior to that. Montreal bought high on a guy that had a good season, after he needed to step in in the playoffs since Binnington was bad. But prior to this offseason St.Louis probably would have needed to pay a team to take that contract off them.

Don't get me wrong Montreal needed a better back up. But is Jake Allen really the best you can do with a 3rd round pick and $4.25M of cap space.



I would want no part of that Price contract.

He shows why he got paid that contract in flashes now, but he been pretty average for most of three seasons now. People look at the playoffs where he was great for 8 games, but forget that Montreal was in 12th place and a big reason was he wasn't that great in net this year...or last year for that matter.

Jake Allen is a taller Brian Elliott...can be a starter...can go on a run...but in the greater scheme of things is way overpaid for the games he will cost you..

[blender]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I agree that it would be in the Habs' best interest to keep Price's workload down. That's almost a given.

That doesn't justify giving up a 3rd for the privilege of paying Jake Allen $4.35M when there are a lot of goalies in free agency this year. and when cap space is more valuable than it has ever been.

But as Flash mentioned, which of those goalies are signing a 1-year deal? To me the expiring contract IS the most attractive part of the deal for Montreal. They are paying a 3rd for the privilege of having Allen for only 1 year.
Seems obvious.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by blender

But as Flash mentioned, which of those goalies are signing a 1-year deal? To me the expiring contract IS the most attractive part of the deal for Montreal. They are paying a 3rd for the privilege of having Allen for only 1 year.
Seems obvious.

Actually, I think we are going to see a fair number of one-year deals this off season. For two reasons: expansion draft, and COVID-cap

[blender]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Actually, I think we are going to see a fair number of one-year deals this off season. For two reasons: expansion draft, and COVID-cap

Well its fine to think that, but that won't make it so. All it takes is for one other GM to offer term. Also, as mentioned Allen looked pretty good this year, so there's that.

I think it is fine to criticize the details of the deal, but it is not an obviously bad deal in any way. It is pretty clear where the benefit serves both teams.

[Strange Brew]

A backup for Carey Price who can carry a fairly heavy load and win some games is extremely valuable to Montreal and the way that team is constructed. A 3rd seems like a reasonable price but his salary does seem high.

Now that said Montreal’s not going anywhere so you can go back to the argument of why are they shipping out draft picks?

[getbak]

Any UFA goalie worth anything is going to want a starter's job or at least the chance to fight for the starter's job in a 1A/B situation. While there may be a few teams that present that opportunity, Montreal isn't one of them.

If you signed with the Habs, you'd know you're signing on to be the backup unless Price suffers a significant injury.

From that perspective, it makes sense for the Habs to make a trade to get their backup who will have no choice but to go there.

[powderjunkie]

Sounds like this is the pick they got for Kovalchuk, so it is essentially ‘free’.

I still think there are a lot of reasons why it’s a silly move, but the post above makes a great point about why it’s hard to sign a competent backup behind a guy like Price (or Kipper).


Considering the uncertainty on the upcoming season - especially for junior - is want every 2020 pick I could have. ‘21 and 22 classes may have limited opportunities for in-game development (but maybe we see some incredibly skilled puck handlers and shooters, as that may be all they do for the next year or two)


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[Bourque's Twin]

This is a great acquisition for MTL. Allen can take 30-40 games in the regular season leaving Price super fresh once playoffs come around. If the Habs have a fresh Price, they can make anything happen in the playoffs. There aren't many backups who can take that big of a workload and pull it off.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I don't even think this is bad value wise for Montreal. I just don't think teams can win with $15 million of cap space being taken by goaltenders.

Maybe not long term, but for one year when you have cap efficiencies elsewhere, maybe.

Next season, if there's an all-Canadian division I think that Montreal's chances of making the playoffs should be pretty decent (assuming top 4 in that division make it).