Now we know why Jake Allen has not yet signed a new contract with the CH

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Jeff Drouin
September 20, 2022 (12:07)

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With Carey Price likely to miss the entire 2022-2023 season, the Habs' number one goaltender position will undoubtedly go to Jake Allen.

Despite injuries last year, the veteran has looked good under the circumstances and will need to be excellent, if not sensational, if Habs fans hope to see their team win more than they did in 2021-2022.

Allen will be playing in his final year of his contract this season, and as Charles-Alexis Brisebois of Danslescoulisses.com reports, it appears that there are reportedly negotiations going on right now between Kent Hughes and the Allen clan for a contract extension.

Because once Allen is gone, Martin St-Louis will have to send Samuel Montembeault or Cayden Primeau in front of the net and let's just say that the organization doesn't have total confidence in these two goalies for the number one position yet. So, the ideal short-term solution is of course to get along with Jake Allen.

By the way, Arpon Basu and Marc-Antoine Godin of The Athletic talked about this in their latest piece and both reporters mention that there are indeed negotiations right now for a contract extension regarding Allen but that right now, the two parties would not agree on the length of the deal.

But nothing is set in stone, because while the Habs are comfortable offering him a new two-year deal, going beyond that length becomes much trickier.

And from what we understand, it's the length of the contract that's the dispute right now.

Because if the two parties could not reach an agreement, the Habs would practically have to trade number 34 at the trade deadline (so as not to lose him for nothing next summer) and his value might not live up to the expectations of the Habs organization, depending on how his season goes.

At that point, the Habs would find themselves in a difficult situation with their goaltenders, especially if Cayden Primeau's progression doesn't go up a level in the 2022-2023 season.

In any case, one thing is certain, the reason Allen is still not under contract in Montreal is because his camp does not agree with the CH's management on the length of the contract. It is therefore a file to follow!