A new young goalie for the Canadiens? A trade with the Vancouver Canucks has just been proposed by Blain Potvin

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MarcO
September 4, 2023 (6:45 PM)

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At this time of year, on the eve of the start of training camps across the NHL, we often see a small wave of trades.

Mostly depth trades, depending on the surpluses and unexpected needs that organizations discover during camps.

The Canadiens currently have three NHL-caliber goalies in their lineup, but two of these goalies are 32 years old or older, which may not necessarily fit with the team's competitive window.

Even though Samuel Montembeault has shown remarkable progress over the past twelve months, ideally, another young goalkeeper with high potential would complement the Quebecer well.

Among the goalies who started 40 games or more in 2022-23, Montembeault was in the top 10 for goals saved above expected, ranking 10th with 11.1 goals stopped, indicating he can make a difference even in a weaker team. At 26, he's in his prime and still has promising potential. However, his ceiling is not that of an elite goalie but rather an excellent service keeper.

- Blain Potvin

A name has just been pinpointed by journalist Blain Potvin, a young goalie from the Vancouver Canucks named Arturs Silovs.

He believes the Montreal Canadiens would be a logical team for Silovs, and he makes good points.

Silovs traded to the Habs?

We're talking about a young goalie with a truly meteoric rise, who's stuck behind Thatcher Demko but deserves a chance to compete for an NHL spot.

And he wouldn't cost the moon to acquire, unlike a Demko or a Yaroslav Askarov.

Silovs' progress is reminiscent of Montembeault's, and he could be a perfect partner for the Quebecer.

Silovs, only 22 years old, is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound goalie.

He was drafted in the 6th round in 2019, and the Latvian goalie excelled with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL last year. (26 wins, 12 losses, 2.44 average, and a .910 save percentage)

Additionally, he won the MVP and best goalie titles at the World Championship this summer, ahead of a certain Sam Montembeault. (7-3-0 record, a save percentage of .921, and a goals against average of 2.20 with Latvia)

He was sensational for Latvia.

In his NHL career, he has three wins in five games, a 2.75 average, and a .908 save percentage.

Definitely a name to watch, especially since it might be more interesting for Kent Hughes to line up a promising 22-year-old goalie as opposed to a 32-year-old DeSmith or a 33-year-old Jake Allen.

If you were in Kent Hughes' shoes, would you trade a player like Jayden Struble or Vinzenz Rohrer (or a draft pick) to get Arturs Silovs?

Credit: Marqueur.com