A serious crease problem in New York has opened the door to a possible trade idea that would send Samuel Montembeault from Montreal to the Rangers.
According to Dans les Coulisses, the Rangers could look at the Canadiens goaltender after losing Igor Shesterkin for the season. Mike Sullivan suddenly has a situation that goes well beyond simple depth management, with Joonas Korpisalo expected to miss another four weeks as well.
That kind of scramble changes the calculus fast. New York has turned to Dylan Garand in the meantime, and the 24-year-old has answered with a .945 save percentage through three games. But the Rangers are still weighing whether they want to keep leaning on a young goalie with limited NHL experience or add someone with a much larger track record.
Montembeault fits that conversation because of where he sits in Montreal. Right now, he is third on the Canadiens’ depth chart, and a move would instantly offer him something he may not get in Montreal: real playing time.
At 29, that matters. He is earning $3.15 million and is set to become a free agent in less than a year, so a stretch of meaningful starts could carry real weight for his next deal.
The Canadiens’ own goaltending picture has also shifted. Jacob Fowler posted a 30-save shutout against Detroit on Saturday, while Jakub Dobes has an .856 save percentage through three games. Montembeault remains on injured reserve until at least October 20, which makes any immediate move tricky, but it does not remove him from the discussion.
Dans les Coulisses pointed to that same reality, suggesting Montembeault could still be an option because his expected absence is not long-term.
For the Rangers, the urgency is obvious. They are off to a 5-2-0 start and have allowed just 1.9 goals per game, numbers worth protecting if they can. Adding Montembeault would give them another experienced option in net and help them avoid overloading Garand.
For Montembeault, it might be the rare chance to step into a much bigger role instead of waiting on the edge of Montreal’s depth chart.
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For Montreal, that kind of framework matters because it hints at how steep the market would be before the Canadiens even get to the hardest part of the equation. Kent Hughes can check in, but the real obstacle may be getting Larkin's side to view Montreal as the right landing spot, and until that changes, the Canadiens are stuck watching a chase that looks expensive long before it looks realistic. [Read more 🡒]