Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault continues to prove doubters wrong after his shaky start to the season. Montembeault is coming off a 3-0 shutout win over the Nashville Predators in which he recorded 29 saves. Montembeault has had a rollercoaster season but has really steadied his play as of late. Not only has he solidified the starter role over Cayden Primeau, but he has led the Canadiens to some recent success after winning two of his last three contests. Montembeault’s resurgence is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Montreal Canadiens. Let’s look at Montembeault’s season thus far and how his future in Montreal projects.
Sam Montembeault‘s Resurgence
Montembeault’s Season
Montembeault began the season with a 48-save shutout versus the Maple Leafs in the season-opener. This performance sparked excitement amongst the fanbase. Montembeault had been given the starter role to begin the year and after his strong play last year, he was expected to have a breakout year. This was not to be though as Montembeault struggled down the stretch. Cayden Primeau didn’t fare any better. however as he posted worse numbers than Montembeault during that span. This left question marks in the Canadiens crease. Many wondered if trading Jake Allen at the trade deadline was indeed the right move for Montreal.
Sam Montembeault has since steadied his play and given the team stability in the crease. He is tied for the league lead in shutouts with three. Montembeault currently has a .906 save percentage and a 2.82 goals-against average on the season.
Named to Team Canada
Montembeault was recently named to Team Canada at the Four Nations tournament in February. He, alongside Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill, will make up the team’s goaltending rotation. While he currently projects as the third-string goalie, Canada will likely go with the hot hand entering the tournament. In such a short tournament, there is little room for error so if Montembeault continues his strong play, he could get the nod in goal.
Montembeault has represented Team Canada in the past as he led his country to a gold medal at the World Championships this past spring. He posted a .939 save percentage across seven games and held a 6-1 record. He also represented Canada at the World Juniors in 2015-16 but didn’t suit up in the tournament.
Montembeault’s future with the Canadiens
Montembeault is currently firmly in the starter role for the Canadiens. He is signed until 2027 with a cap hit of $3.15 million. Montembeault will be 30 at the end of the deal. His backup Cayden Primeau has continued to prove that he is not capable of handling the pressures of the NHL. This means that barring a trade or signing, Montembeault has the keys to the city as far as the goaltending position is concerned.
The Canadiens do have some prospects in their pool who could eventually challenge him in the crease, however. Jakub Dobes is putting up good numbers in Laval this season with the Rocket. But it’s Canadiens super-prospect Jacob Fowler who might be the biggest threat for Montembeault. Fowler has won at every level and is arguably the best goaltender in College hockey right now. Fowler just turned twenty years old so he still needs some time to develop. He is expected to sign with the Canadiens after this season and join the Laval Rocket. Fowler will need at least one season in the AHL before stepping into the NHL.
This means that Montembeault will likely be the Habs starter for the next two seasons. But once Fowler or Dobes make the NHL, where does that leave Montembeault? He has been a backup for most of his career and would still be a serviceable backup if the team chooses to resign him. He has the added benefit of being a francophone which makes it more intriguing for the team to renew his deal.
Main Photo: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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