Casey DeSmith: Kent Hughes hasn’t even spoken to him yet

Since yesterday’s news that the Habs have acquired Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Nathan Légaré and a second-round pick as a third team in the Erik Karlsson trade, we suspect that Kent Hughes hasn’t finished his work yet. The trade may seem like a first step (to get rid of Mike Hoffman), but the CH DG still has his work cut out for him.

Naturally, Jeff Petry’s name is often mentioned. We suspect that the defenseman doesn’t necessarily want to play in Montreal, given that he requested a trade for the 2021-22 season, and this looks like a move to trade him again soon.

And with no press conference scheduled, it doesn’t help silence the rumours that he’s headed elsewhere.

That said, while there’s a lot of talk about Petry, there’s also another big unknown in Casey DeSmith. With Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault already in town (and Cayden Primeau having to go through the ballot), that’s starting to add up to quite a few goalies, and the idea of a trio of goalies in front of the net is questionable.

Some wonder if it’s Allen who will be traded, but the idea of seeing DeSmith leave quickly can’t be ruled out either. And with Simon-Olivier Lorange reporting tonight that Kent Hughes still hasn’t spoken to DeSmith formally since the deal, it lends credence to the rumour that DeSmith is just passing through town.

In my opinion, the only “untouchable” in front of the net right now is Samuel Montembeault. The Quebecer loves Montreal, he’s played good field hockey under difficult conditions for the past two years, and he deserves the chance to be the club’s #1 goaltender this year.

Especially as, at 26 (soon to be 27), he still has plenty of field hockey left in him. All that’s left is for him to sign a contract extension with the Habs for the 2024-25 season (and beyond?), which he really seems to want to do.

So, it’s likely to come down to Allen and DeSmith. While the former is established in town and still has two years left on his contract (at $3.85 million a year), the latter has just arrived and only has one year left on his contract (at $1.8 million).

I don’t think it’s ridiculous to say that other clubs will be more interested in DeSmith than Allen.

In an ideal world, getting rid of Allen’s contract wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Tricolore. On the other hand, we know that he’s a veteran and a respected leader in Montreal, and that he accepts his role in mentoring the organization’s youngsters.

This leads me to believe that DeSmith is clearly the most logical candidate to leave. His contract is less imposing, his stats are better than Allen’s and one wonders if the CH feels uneasy with his past.

Add to all this that Hughes hasn’t even spoken to DeSmith yet and I really feel like we’d be better off waiting a while before buying a CH jersey with the former Penguins goalie’s name on the back.

In bursts

– Let’s hope he doesn’t predict too many Penguin victories over the CH.

Best of luck to Mystic Rem Pitlick in Pittsburgh🔮 pic.twitter.com/7bbEizHrtC

– Habs Fan TV (@HabsFanTV_) August 7, 2023

– Absurd.

– A boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Jean Pascal could be in the works. [HF]

– Young Quebecers impress at Canadian basketball championships. My text on the subject.

– That’s right.