The Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils on Friday before the end of the NHL trade period.
Different media reported the news.
The Canadian would get in return a conditional third-round pick in 2025, which could become a second-round pick if Allen plays at least 40 games with his new team next season.
The Montreal club also retains 50% of Allen’s salary.
This exchange puts an end to the menage a trois in front of the net which had persisted since the start of the campaign.
Samuel Montembeault, Cayden Primeau and Allen had to share the starts, which complicated the management of the goalkeepers by coach Martin St-Louis.
Allen, who is 33 years old, joined the Canadiens on September 2, 2020. The Habs acquired his services from the St. Louis Blues.
The New Brunswicker has struggled this season, compiling a 6-12-3 record with a 3.65 GAA and a .892 save percentage.
He has one season remaining on a contract that earns him an average annual salary of US$3.85 million. His salary will have an impact of $1.925 million on the Canadian’s total next season.
Allen was a second round pick of the Blues in 2008, 34th overall. He was Jordan Binnington’s backup when the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019. He was also Carey Price’s backup when the Canadian reached the final in 2021.
He has played 416 games in the NHL and has a record of 189-162-41.
General manager Kent Hughes had already traded an important piece by giving Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a first-round pick on February 2.
The other players whose names came up the most in the rumors were David Savard, Tanner Pearson and Joel Armia.
In the cases of Savard and Armia, they have contracts still valid for the 2024-25 season and seemed more difficult to trade.
Pearson’s contract expires July 1. However, he was limited to five goals and six assists in 44 games with the Canadian this season and probably did not represent the best option for teams in the race for the playoffs.
Furthermore, the Canadian indicated that forward Joshua Roy and defenseman Jayden Struble were briefly assigned to the Laval Rocket so that they would be eligible to participate in the American Hockey League playoffs.