What’s next for Cayden Primeau and the Maple Leafs?

Let’s face it: the Cayden Primeau experiment has failed.

Primeau was claimed off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes earlier this month as a potential mid-to-long-term solution depending on the length of Joseph Woll’s absence.

With the Maple Leafs, Primeau had a golden opportunity to earn NHL starts once again after a career of ups and downs. Emerging as a top goaltending prospect out of college, he began to struggle in the NHL after a promising start with the Montreal Canadiens. Over the following years, he was invariably sent down and called up time and time again, consistently overperforming in the AHL and underperforming in the big leagues.

After ending last year with an unbelievable 21-2-3 run with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, Primeau looked in strong form to make a run at an NHL crease once again, and Toronto emerged as the place to do that. While the Maple Leafs just brought him in to take on a temporary role, it was a chance for Primeau to prove he belongs in the NHL.

Unfortunately, Primeau did not exactly seize the moment. Across three games, the Michigan native finished with an .838 SV% and a 4.30 GAA. He came away with two wins, but only due to the offensive support his team offered in front of him. His last start against the Columbus Blue Jackets was especially disheartening, looking lost in the crease as he conceded six goals on 24 shots faced.

So what’s next for the Maple Leafs and Primeau? Toronto took a low-risk chance in bringing in the former Husky, hoping at best that he could find his minor league form in the NHL, but at the very least that he could be a reliable enough backup for Stolarz in the absence of Woll. Up to this point, that hasn’t been so.

Woll is now back skating with the team, and will likely take a conditioning stint with the Marlies before returning to the NHL, so it could be a few weeks until he’s ready to go for the Maple Leafs. In the meantime, the team has to decide if they’ll keep running with Primeau, or call Dennis Hildeby up from the Marlies. Hildeby is off to a 2-1-1 start in the minors this season, and while his NHL record leaves something to be desired, a change may be just what’s needed for the Leafs right now. Toronto plays its next back-to-back next weekend, amidst a busy four-game week, meaning support will be needed for Stolarz no matter who it is.

Whether or not Primeau gets a start or two more with the Maple Leafs, it’s evident he’s on borrowed time with the team. Even if he comes in and plays the game of his life in his next start, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t hit waivers once Woll returns. Considering there’s always a market for depth in the crease, and his low-cost one-year contract, it’s possible he’s claimed, though it’s hard to say at this point. If he is claimed, it’s unlikely to fill an NHL role, barring an injury on another team. Regardless, whether he ends up with the Marlies or with another franchise, don’t expect to see Primeau in a Maple Leafs sweater much longer.