In a normal season, a rotation of three goalies is a safe bet, and allows a coach flexibility during a long road trip or multiple back-to-back situations. This year, however, it means that Joël Bouchard has an extremely tough task of trying to give the organization’s top goalie prospect plenty of reps, while also making sure that his backups have a chance to play.
The trio of Cayden Primeau, Michael McNiven, and newcomer Vasili Demchenko make up the goaltending core this year, and Bouchard has made it clear the net is Primeau’s to start unless he gives the Rocket a reason to make a change.