Samuel Montembeault is heading into a pivotal year with a chip on his shoulder after a brutal 2025-26 season in Montreal.
The Canadiens goalie was hammered by the numbers this past campaign. In 25 games for the Habs, the 29-year-old finished with an .873 save percentage and a 3.43 goals-against average, and the rough stretch cost him his grip on the crease. He slid from Montreal’s starter to third-string duty and even spent time on a conditioning stint with the Laval Rocket in December.
It was the kind of season a goalie wants to erase from memory. But Montembeault isn’t just trying to move on - he’s trying to answer back.
The 2015 third-round pick is preparing for what amounts to a revenge tour, determined to show that last season was the exception, not the rule. That’s true whether he opens the year with the Canadiens or winds up elsewhere via trade.
There’s still plenty of evidence that Montembeault can rebound. In the 2024-25 season with Montreal, he put together a 31-24-7 record, a .901 save percentage, a 2.82 goals-against average, and four shutouts. And that wasn’t a one-off bounce - he had posted a .901 save percentage or better in each of the three seasons before 2025-26.
The timing also gives him another layer of pressure. Montembeault is entering a contract year as a pending unrestricted free agent, the kind of situation that often brings out a player’s best. Now the question is whether he can use that motivation to get his game back on track.
In Other News...
Arber Xhekaj Just Put One Canadiens Decision Under The Microscope
Arber Xhekajs place in the Canadiens lineup has become one of those quiet roster questions that can carry real salary-cap weight. An analyst recently argued that Montreal should think of him as a sixth or seventh defenseman, a player whose appeal comes from his physical edge and willingness to make life uncomfortable for opponents, but not one whose role automatically warrants a major raise.
The debate gets sharper because Xhekajs contract situation is still unresolved, and his usage is part of the conversation. If he remains in that limited role, the market for him may not climb as high as some would expect, which puts Montreal in an interesting spot as it weighs toughness, ice time and future value on the blue line. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Need To Sacrifice A Top Prospect For Bigger Upgrade
With the Canadiens looking to reshape the roster around more immediate help, reports have them exploring trade discussions that could eventually lead to a significant prospect piece changing hands. Montreal already has multiple defensemen under contract, which gives the front office some flexibility if it wants to turn a young blue-liner into a more established NHL contributor and address a couple of longer-term needs at once.
Adam Engstrom is one of the names believed to have real value in those talks, and that alone says plenty about how the market views him. The bigger question for Montreal is how far it is willing to go in pursuit of an impact forward and a proven right-shot defenseman, with the kind of upgrade it wants likely requiring a notable sacrifice before anything actually gets over the line. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Finally Have A Real Montembeault Trade Opening
The goalie market in Columbus just got a lot more interesting, and Montreal has to be paying attention. With Elvis Merzlikins sidelined after shoulder surgery, the Blue Jackets are suddenly looking at a situation where Jet Greaves is carrying the load and Pheonix Copley is at least part of the conversation if more help is needed. For a Canadiens front office that has long had to weigh what to do with Samuel Montembeault, that kind of opening is the sort of development that can change the temperature around a potential deal.
Montembeault is also in the final year of his contract, which adds to the intrigue around his future. After a rough statistical season, he still profiles as the type of goalie a team in Columbus's position could examine if it wants stability or insurance, and Montreal would have to at least consider whether this is the right moment to explore value. No trade has been confirmed, but the fit is obvious enough that this is now one of those situations worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]