Two Canadiens’ Goaltending Prospects Are On The Move

Yahoo Sports21h ago3 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Two Montreal Canadiens goaltending prospects, Quentin Miller and Alexis Cournoyer, have entered the transfer portal following the Frozen Four. Miller, a national champion backup, aims for more playing time, while Cournoyer is expected to join the Wisconsin Badgers after a successful season at Cornell.

With the Frozen Four coming to a close last weekend, the 15-day window for players to enter the transfer portal is currently open, and a couple of Montreal Canadiens goaltending prospects chose to enter it, meaning they’ll be playing for another team next season.

Quentin Miller, who was a member of the national champion Denver Pioneers and posted a 12-10-2 record with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, chose to enter the transfer portal. While he became a national champion last week, he did it in the backup role since Johnny Hicks was the number one netminder. Hicks joined Denver late after the program he had committed to in Tennessee State was delayed, and when he took over from Miller after he suffered an injury, he never looked back, going 16-0-1 with a 1.19 GAA and a .957 SV.

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Since Hicks was also a freshman and isn’t going anywhere, Miller’s decision makes sense. A fourth-round pick by the Canadiens at the 2023 draft, the netminder will have a much better chance at developing the right way if he gets more playing time.

Meanwhile, Alexis Cournoyer, who was a fifth-round pick for the Canadiens at the last draft, is also reported to be heading for the portal out of Cornell. He had an 18-10-0 record this season, including a shutout, with a .915 SV and a 2.05 GAA. According to reports, he is likely to be headed to the Wisconsin Badgers. Cole Caufield’s former team made it all the way to the Frozen Four final but was beaten 2-1 by Denver.

While the Canadiens currently have two very good young netminders, Kent Hughes said when he was hired that he wanted to build a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and that means planning not only for the current window of opportunity but also for the next ones. It will be interesting to see how both goalies fare with their new team.

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Q&A

Why did Quentin Miller enter the transfer portal?

Quentin Miller entered the transfer portal to seek more playing time after serving as a backup during his championship season with the Denver Pioneers.

What were Alexis Cournoyer's stats at Cornell before entering the transfer portal?

Alexis Cournoyer had an 18-10-0 record with a shutout, a .915 save percentage, and a 2.05 goals-against average during his season at Cornell.

Which team is Alexis Cournoyer likely to join after leaving Cornell?

Alexis Cournoyer is likely to join the Wisconsin Badgers after entering the transfer portal.