He is completing his fourth season in the pro ranks and celebrating his 24th season^e birthday this summer. And while it’s normal for a goaltender to take a little longer to develop than a skater, Primeau will be running out of time to prove he can be the goaltender of the future for the Montreal Canadiens.

“You can’t become a diamond without being pressured (No Pressure, No Diamonds),” Primeau said of a quote attributed to Scottish writer and historian Thomas Carlyle.

Primeau hasn’t had much success in his NHL stints, as evidenced by his 3-12-2 record, 4.11 GAA and .871 save percentage.

The Canadian decided to give him a few opportunities to assert himself at the end of the campaign. The American goaltender has conceded eight goals in two games in eight days in losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings.

Head coach Martin St-Louis said after Tuesday’s loss to the Red Wings that Primeau had been “right” in his two recent starts. The concerned principal noted that he was concentrating on his game without emphasizing the results.

Primeau said this approach put him in a much better mood than in the past.

“I won’t let it get me down and I’ll keep playing,” said Primeau.

“Yes, you get a little bit stronger, faster and smarter every year, but it’s mainly mentally that I’ve improved the most compared to last year,” he added.

Primeau was the focus of the Laval Rocket’s trip to the American League East final last spring. He claimed to have learned a lot playing such important games.

This autumn he then had a difficult start to the season before bad luck struck him. He suffered a concussion when he was hit by a stick as a backup goaltender on the rocket’s bench.

Then, when he was recalled by the Canadians in early 2023, he didn’t come into play as he had just recovered.

Primeau has finally settled into the last few months with Rocket, who find themselves in the playoff race in the North Division. The Habs’ pick for Round 7 in 2017 focuses more on the present moment than its long-term future.

“There are still important games to play with Rocket or here,” Primeau said.

However, he did admit that he was glad to have had the chance to show off his progress playing games in the NHL. He also hopes to have forgotten the poor performances of previous seasons.

“Last year I didn’t play as well as I can,” he said. It was not me. It feels good to be back on the ice here and doing well, playing at the peak of my ability. »

Primeau will be eligible for waivers next season. The Canadian will therefore soon have to decide whether to secure a place at the big club by replacing Jake Allen or Samuel Montembeault, who are also under contract for at least next season, or risk losing it for nothing, by wanting bring him back to the rocket to continue his education. Primeau’s performance through the end of the Canadian and Rocket seasons and through the next camp will therefore dictate this decision.

Meanwhile, Primeau isn’t overly concerned about that pressure, which can only help polish his game.