A fresh wrinkle may be forming around Samuel Montembeault, and it could give Kent Hughes and the Canadiens a very different kind of decision to make.
Marco D'Amico put the spotlight on the goaltender’s contract-year situation during The Starr and D'Amico Show, and his take was blunt: a trade could actually be the kinder outcome.
''I think moving Sam Montembeault in his contract year so he can hope to get a NHL deal for next year is probably the most humane thing that the Canadiens can do in this situation. And if Hellebuyck gets traded that may start a caroussel of other trades.''
- Marco D'Amico
Montembeault is heading into the final season of his contract, which leaves his future in a tricky spot as the new year approaches. He spent a long stretch as the Canadiens’ No. 1 goaltender before Jakub Dobes arrived last season, so any move would come with real significance for the crease.
The logic, as D'Amico laid it out, is straightforward: a trade would send Montembeault to a new market before he reaches free agency, potentially improving his chances of landing a longer-term NHL deal.
There’s also a bigger league-wide piece to this. D'Amico tied Montembeault’s situation to Connor Hellebuyck after the Winnipeg Jets confirmed their star goaltender requested a trade.
That development could set off movement across the goalie market, and if Winnipeg does end up dealing Hellebuyck, Montembeault could become part of the fallout. D'Amico suggested the Jets might look to an experienced option such as Montembeault if that happens.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Sam Montembeault Decision Worth Watching
With the Canadiens carrying more than enough goaltending depth to at least entertain the idea of a move, Sam Montembeault has quietly become a name worth monitoring. Montreal has spent enough time building up its crease to create options, and that alone makes the veteran netminder a different kind of asset than he might have been a year ago. For a team that is still sorting out its bigger picture, it is the sort of situation that can turn a stable position into a trade chip if the right market opens.
Kent Hughes also does not usually operate in the most obvious lanes when he is looking for value, which matters here because a simple goalie-for-pick deal may not be the path he prefers. If Montreal decides Montembeault belongs in play, the return could hinge on a more creative type of transaction, the kind that comes with a player who needs a reset or a contract another club wants to move. The broader goalie market could end up shaping how far that idea goes, and the Canadiens will be watching closely to see whether the right opening ever appears. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Reopen Practice But Dach Questions Are Only Growing
After a one-day closed-door session, the Canadiens were back in front of the public on the ice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, and the usual practice rhythm returned with it. Fans in attendance got a look at the group as it skated, with Kirby Dach among the players spotted during the open session, a small but notable sight for anyone following the clubs day-to-day health and lineup picture.
The brief shutdown has only added to the curiosity around why the team chose to shut things down in the first place. Montreal has not offered an official explanation for the one-day closed-door practice, leaving the move open to interpretation and keeping attention fixed on the details that matter most to a team that is already being watched closely every time it hits the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have More Urgency To Get Arber Xhekaj Signed
Kaiden Guhles recent absence from practice has given the Canadiens another reason to be uneasy as training camp approaches, especially after he was spotted in a tracksuit and then missed the last two sessions in Brossard. Any uncertainty around a young defenseman who has already become a key part of the blue line tends to ripple quickly through the rest of the roster picture, and in Montreal it has only sharpened the focus on the teams defensive depth.
It also adds a little more urgency to Kent Hughes work with Arber Xhekaj, who remains unsigned even while continuing to train with the club. The Canadiens have been carrying on as if the situation will sort itself out, but if Guhle is slowed early in the season, the need for reliable bodies on defense becomes harder to ignore and makes Xhekajs unresolved contract situation loom a lot larger. [Read more 🡒]