The Buffalo Sabres should have been over the past few weeks trying to have trade discussions to solve their three-goalie problem. One of those teams likely would have been the Edmonton Oilers, who were reportedly 'poking around' on Alex Lyon.
However, the Oilers didn't wait for the Sabres and instead turned their attention to Tristan Jarry and were able to get a deal done on Friday. This doesn't help Buffalo as they try to bring some clarity to their goalie position and the team that could help them is a division rival in the Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal Canadiens will be looking for an upgrade at the goalie position but not yet
The Montreal Canadiens are currently tied in points with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils for the final Wild Card spot. They have been able to get there in spite of their goaltending, which ranks among the worst in the league as they are 29th in goals against average of 3.50 and tied for last in the league in save percentage of .877.
Sam Montembeault was expected to be the starter entering the season after a career-season with a save percentage of .901 and a goals against average of 2.82. This season has been a different story as his goals against average has jumped almost an entire point to 3.65.
The Canadiens have tried to stay afloat with Jakub Dobes and even called up Jacob Fowler, who made his first career NHL start on Thursday. Earlier this week, Pierre LeBrun said that the Canadiens don't seem to be panicking or rushing into a trade, knowing how tough it is during the season:
"It’s just difficult in season to just solve that riddle, and so that’s part of the reason why the Habs obviously hope to be able to figure this out internally before they have to look at the trade market."
Buffalo Sabres don't need to rush to make a trade in the near future, either
The Canadiens' patience could be good news for the Buffalo Sabres as they try to figure out exactly what they want to do at the position. It is going to start in the front office, and it might not be Kevyn Adams making that decision.
Recent reports are that the Sabres are having internal discussions on replacing Kevyn Adams, and that change might come as early as Monday after their road trip. If that does take place, it will be interesting to see how quickly they name his replacement and whether that is an internal or external replacement.
Jarmo Kekalainen was brought in this summer as an advisor and has a decade worth of experience as a general manager. He seems to be the favorite to replace Adams, at least during the season.
Whenever that person is put in place, they will have a little bit of time after Colten Ellis was placed on injured reserve on Thursday. He suffered a head injury after a hit in the game against the Edmonton Oilers and won't be able to return until midweek.
This will give any changes in the front office a chance to settle in and evaluate the trade market for how they want to move forward. The Sabres general manager, whether that is Adams or someone new, will need to eventually shorten the goalie position down to a traditional two-goalie setup, and the Montreal Canadiens are their best chance to achieve that.