In the Canadiens’ goaltending situation, there has been a lot of speculation for several weeks, and the rumors between the Canadiens and the Oilers are incessant.

These are not just baseless rumors; they come directly from the most well-connected informants in the NHL. This time, it’s a more personal opinion from an expert who doesn’t usually cover the Canadiens.

During an appearance on Tony Marinaro’s podcast, Craig Button had a lot to say about the Oilers’ goaltending needs:

“I certainly think that young goalies like Yaroslav Askarov, Dustin Wolf, and Jesper Wallstedt could be starting goalies one day, but the Oilers can’t take a chance with a young goalie right now. They don’t have the luxury of waiting. […]

Teams don’t want to trade #1 goalies, so they need a good goalie who can help and support Stuart Skinner, and I’ve been saying it from the beginning, I really believe that Jake Allen is that goalie!

Jake Allen would be the best goalie for the Oilers to acquire today; he would be perfect for them. If I’m Ken Holland, I don’t want any other goalie than Jake Allen.”

– Craig Button

This statement makes a lot of sense, especially since Oilers scouts were present at Jake Allen’s last three games. Needless to say, with the current three-goalie rotation at the Canadiens, it seems like a significant coincidence.