Cayden Primeau holds the fate of his NHL future in his hands

Cayden Primeau made his first start for the Toronto Maple Leafs this week, turning away 26-of-30 shots in a 7-4 victory over the Nashville Predators. In the aftermath, Primeau shared that he’s less focused on game results and more on his own performance, needing to clean up some mistakes moving forward.

The Maple Leafs have a unique goaltending situation right now. Anthony Stolarz emerged as the clear number one late last year, starting playoff games until he went out with an injury suffering in Game 1 of the second round. Joseph Woll could still challenge for that starting spot, but is currently out indefinitely for a personal matter, with no timeline on his return. Beyond that, they don’t have a lot to boast in the pipeline. Dennis Hildeby played a short stint in the NHL last season, but clearly still has work to do. Artur Akhtyamov is struggling in the AHL. Matt Murray is long gone.

Enter Cayden Primeau, claimed off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes after James Reimer’s PTO agreement didn’t materialize into anything. Primeau’s career thus far has been a story of Jekyll and Hyde. He’s struggled to find his footing in the NHL, while playing his best hockey in the minors.

Currently signed to a one-year contract, and with question marks around Woll, he could be the Leafs backup for just weeks to months more. There’s no telling how much time he has, but this season one thing is clear: Primeau is playing for more than just a roster spot with the Leafs, he’s playing for his future in the NHL.

Humble origins

Son of former NHLer Keith Primeau, Primeau was originally selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. That year, he began playing at Northeastern University. In two NCAA seasons, he had a 44-17-6 record and a .934 SV%, leading his team to a Conference championship, two regional semifinals finishes in the national tournament, and back-to-back Beanpot titles.

In early 2018, The Athletic’s Mitch Brown wrote the following: “The development that Primeau has undergone this past year has been nothing short of spectacular. He has improved techniques, but more importantly, found what works for him.”

Primeau then appeared with Team USA at the 2019 World Juniors, where he posted a .936 SV% in 5 games played, carrying the team to a silver medal finish.

The following season he graduated to the AHL, playing with the Laval Rocket. In December 2019, he made his NHL debut with the Canadiens, turning away 32 of 35 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. A week later, he earned his first career win with 35 saves in a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Just 20 years old, Primeau finished that two-game stint with an impressive .931 SV%, capping off a big few years for the young goaltender. At the time, Montreal Canadiens beat writer Marc Dumont wrote a piece for The Athletic titled Cayden Primeau gives fans a glimpse of the future with his first career win. Indeed at the time, it felt like Primeau was primed to be a key piece of the Canadiens future plans in between the pipes.