The Canadiens suddenly have a goalie situation that could turn into something bigger.
Samuel Montembeault is on injured reserve, with his absence expected to last at least until November 5, and that has only sharpened the conversation around Montreal’s crease. Darren Dreger said last Friday that NHL teams have already called the Canadiens to check on Montembeault’s availability, and while that does not point to a deal happening right away, it does put the veteran goalie on the radar.
What makes this more complicated is that Montreal has already seen other options make their case while Montembeault has been out. Jacob Fowler has appeared in 9 games this season, Jakub Dobes has played 6, and Montembeault has only 2. That leaves the Canadiens staring at a three-goalie setup, something general manager Kent Hughes has made it clear he does not want to manage again this season.
The real intrigue is not whether Montreal could move Montembeault for a pick. It is whether Hughes would use him as part of a larger trade that brings back a forward. Dreger said the Canadiens would be open to listening if the return is substantial enough, and that is where this file gets interesting.
Montembeault’s value may also be trending upward. Dreger believes the market for the 30-year-old will improve as he gets back on the ice and proves he is healthy.
The contract situation matters too: he is in the final year of a deal worth a little over three million, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of it. His 231 NHL games give him the kind of experience teams often want when they are looking for stability in goal.
For Montreal, there is no urgency. The Canadiens are 6th in the NHL at 9-3-3 and have won 7 of their last 10.
They are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets on Tuesday and host Utah tonight. With the team playing well, Hughes has the luxury of waiting instead of forcing a move.
As Dreger put it on The Morning Show:
"I know that there have been teams that have called on Sam Montembeault. [...]
Is it early to give up Sam Montembeault via trade? I guess it depends on what you're getting back.
You know, is it a package that is maybe something more significant where you get a forward and something else and Montembeault just happens to be along for the ride as part of that deal? I think that that's where Kent Hughes would enter into, I'm willing to listen on absolutely everything.
But the market for Sam Montembeault is only going to get better."
For now, no trade looks close. But Montembeault is clearly an asset other teams are watching, and Montreal may have more options than it first appears.
In Other News...
Florian Xhekaj Suddenly Faces Real Pressure In Canadiens Lineup
Florian Xhekajs night against the Winnipeg Jets turned into one of those moments that can linger well beyond the final horn. The Canadiens rookie dropped the gloves in a game that was still manageable, and the sequence helped set the stage for a wild finish as Montreal saw its lead disappear in an overtime loss. It was the kind of momentum shift that can leave a coach weighing not just the emotion of the moment, but the cost of it.
Martin St-Louis did not call out Xhekaj publicly, which fits the coachs usual measured approach, but the bigger issue may be what comes next for the young forward. Montreal is getting healthier, and when the lineup starts to tighten up, every shift matters more. For Xhekaj, the fight may not have drawn an immediate rebuke, but it could still make his place in the lineup a lot less secure. [Read more 🡒]
Martin St-Louis Just Called Out A Canadiens Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Canadiens left Winnipeg with a result that said far more about their own play than about the scraps that broke out along the way. Montreal had built a 4-0 lead, but the game slipped away in overtime, and Martin St-Louis made it clear afterward that the issue was not the fights so much as what happened at five-on-five, where Winnipeg controlled much of the night.
For a team still sitting second in the Atlantic Division, the loss landed as a reminder that the margin for error can disappear fast, especially when two important forwards like Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach are out of the lineup. St-Louis message was less about one bad bounce than a bigger concern the Canadiens cannot really brush aside, because the way they played at even strength is the part of this story that lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A No-Cost Roster Decision Kent Hughes Must Weigh
Waiver season has handed Kent Hughes an unexpected bit of roster flexibility, with a pair of available players suddenly giving the Canadiens a chance to add help without paying a trade price. Montreal is at least evaluating the fit, which makes sense for a front office that has tried to balance immediate depth with longer-range planning as it shapes the roster.
The decision comes down to what the Canadiens value more right now: a younger piece who could grow into a bigger role over time, or a veteran who might help sooner but comes with a shorter runway. No move has been made yet, and for Montreal the real intrigue is whether Hughes sees this as a rare no-cost chance to address a need before another club gets there first. [Read more 🡒]