Samuel Montembeault’s right leg injury has pushed the Montreal Canadiens into wait-and-see mode, and the next answer should come tonight.
Chantal Machabée said Montembeault had medical tests yesterday and is set to be evaluated by a doctor today. The update surfaced during Martin St-Louis’ pregame press conference ahead of tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators.
At the moment, there’s still no clear picture of how long Montembeault might be out. The Canadiens are expected to get more information soon, including a possible timeline for his return, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
Stu Cowan also reported that Montembeault will meet with the team’s doctors tonight. That examination should give Montreal a much better sense of the injury and the potential length of the absence.
Montembeault, 29, was apparently slated to make his first start of the season against Nashville before the injury changed the plans. With him unavailable, Jacob Fowler has been recalled from the Laval Rocket and will start tonight, while Jakub Dobes backs him up. Dobes has had a rough start, with an .857 save percentage so far this season.
If Montembeault is forced to miss more than a brief stretch, Fowler could end up staying with the Canadiens longer than expected. He was sent down after training camp, but he quickly made his presence felt in Laval, putting up a 1.53 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage across two starts.
The Canadiens weren’t planning to open the season with three goalies on the NHL roster, but that may become a temporary necessity depending on what the doctors say.
And the timing matters. Montreal has already allowed 14 goals in its first three games, which works out to 4.7 per game. That’s not the kind of start St-Louis wanted, and an extended absence for Montembeault would only make the situation in net more difficult.
For now, though, everything comes back to tonight’s evaluation and the severity of the right leg injury.
In Other News...
Former Canadiens Prospect Suddenly Has A Lot Riding On This Return
William Trudeaus path has taken an abrupt turn this fall, and it has already brought him to a place he probably could not have scripted when the season began. The former Canadiens prospect surfaced with the Nashville Predators after being cut by the New York Rangers, then claimed on waivers, and he has wasted little time getting his first NHL minutes under a new set of circumstances. Predators coach Andrew Brunette has liked what he has seen so far, which matters for a player trying to show he can stick at this level.
The next step comes with an extra layer of emotion, because Trudeau is set to line up against Montreal, the organization that once held his rights. He has been used in limited minutes in his first games with Nashville, so every shift has carried a little more weight as he tries to carve out a longer look. For a young defenseman trying to turn an opportunity into something more permanent, this return carries the kind of stakes that can quickly shape the rest of his season. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Blew Another Lead But Two Lineup Bright Spots Emerged
The Canadiens had a chance to settle things down after jumping out to a 2-0 lead against Nashville, but the game slipped away late when the Predators scored three unanswered goals, including two empty-netters. The loss fit an early-season pattern for Montreal, which has had trouble protecting leads and has also been stuck in some rough second periods, where momentum has tilted away from the group far too often.
Still, there were a couple of encouraging signs buried in the defeat. Adam Engstrom, in his first appearance of the season, looked solid alongside Arber Xhekaj on the third defense pair despite limited ice time, and the second forward line posted the best expected goals-for percentage on the club. For a team searching for cleaner minutes and more stability, those are the kinds of details that matter even when the final score does not cooperate. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fans Have A Real Matthew Poitras Trade Question Again
Matthew Poitras is back in the center of a familiar sort of Boston trade discussion, with the Edmonton Oilers showing interest in the young Bruins forward but nothing finalized yet. For Canadiens fans keeping one eye on the wider market, the chatter matters because Montreal has been linked to Dylan Larkin as a potential fit, even if no move is close and the idea remains more background noise than active negotiation.
Around the league, there is no shortage of moving parts, from Alexander Nikishins unsettled status with Carolina to Vladimir Tarasenkos complicated free-agent market in Florida and Connor Hellebuyck still sitting there as a trade possibility. In Montreal, the bigger takeaway is simply that the Canadiens remain in the conversation for a center upgrade, and if the market keeps shifting the way it has, the names attached to that search could change quickly. [Read more 🡒]