Cayden Primeau Traded to Carolina Hurricanes by Canadiens

Montreal, Quebec – The Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Cayden Primeau to the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The 25-year-old goalie recorded a 2-3-1 record with a 4.70 goals-against average and an .836 save percentage in 11 NHL games during the 2024-2025 season. In the American Hockey League (AHL), Primeau excelled, finishing the season with a 21-2-2 record, a 1.96 GAA, and a .927 save percentage in 26 games with the Laval Rocket.

As a restricted free agent, Primeau received a qualifying offer from the Canadiens on the same day as the trade. Selected in the seventh round (199th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Primeau has played 55 NHL games, with a record of 13-24-7, a 3.69 GAA, and .884 save percentage.

The Hurricanes will need to sign Primeau to a contract, as they take a calculated risk on his potential, especially considering his strong AHL performance. However, it is unclear if he will start for Carolina, given the presence of established goalies Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov.

Primeau, a native of Farmington Hills, Michigan, has played most of his career with the Canadiens’ organization since turning pro in 2019 after his college career at Northeastern University. The trade signals that Jacob Fowler is likely to be the starter for the Laval Rocket next season, while Jakub Dobeš, another restricted free agent, is likely set to back up Samuel Montembeault in the NHL.