The Montreal Canadiens may have a goaltender on the mend, but Samuel Montembeault’s return could do more than just fill a crease. It might also put him right in the trade conversation.
Montembeault is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury, though he is expected back in the next few days. When he does return, Montreal could have a crowded situation on its hands. Jakub Dobeš and Jacob Fowler have taken center stage in the battle for the net, while Kaapo Kähkönen is also sitting in the AHL with the Laval Rocket as another NHL-level option, giving the Canadiens some cover if one of those younger goalies gets hurt.
That depth matters because Montembeault, 29, no longer looks like the locked-in answer he once seemed to be. After being drafted in the third round by the Florida Panthers in the 2015 NHL Draft and later placed on waivers, he endured three uneven seasons in Montreal. From 2021 until 2024, the Bécancour, Quebec native led the Canadiens in starts but put up a 40-52-18 record with a 3.42 goals against average and a .899 save percentage across 119 appearances.
Then came his best stretch. In the 2024-25 season, Montembeault delivered a career year with a 31-24-7 record, a 2.82 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
But the momentum didn’t last. His play slipped again this past season, and he began losing starts to more promising options like Dobeš.
With Fowler’s rise and Montembeault now viewed as the third goalie in the pecking order, Montreal could decide he’s movable. One team that makes sense is the New York Rangers.
New York is 7-3-1 and has gotten there despite major issues in goal. Igor Shesterkin suffered a major knee injury that will keep him out for the season, and backup Joonas Korpisalo is also set to miss time after a lower-body injury. That has forced the Rangers to lean on third-string goalie Dylan Garand, who has handled the spotlight well.
Garand, 24, was a fourth-round pick in 2020 and showed well in his three NHL starts last season, going 2-0-1 with a 1.62 goals against average and a .948 save percentage. This year, he has kept it going with a 4-2-1 record, a 1.85 goals against average and a .929 save percentage in seven starts. He has allowed two goals or fewer in six of those seven games and has looked the part of an NHL goaltender.
Even with that strong start, the Rangers would still have every reason to want another steady option behind him. That’s where Montembeault comes in.
He’s in a contract year with a modest $3.15 million cap hit, which makes him a tidy rental for a team trying to win now. For New York, he could be a test case and a chance to compete for playing time while Korpisalo is out. If it doesn’t click, the Rangers can simply move on in free agency.
For Montreal, the return could be straightforward: draft capital that can be used in later trade-deadline moves.
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