While much of the attention in the Montreal Canadiens organization has turned to the battle for the crease between Jakub Dobeš and Jacob Fowler, their third goaltender is on the injury reserve and when returning, may be without a job.
Sam Montembeault is currently out with a lower-body injury but is expected to be back in the next few days and when coming back to practice, could be viewed as expendable to Montreal GM Kent Hughes.
Down in the AHL with the Laval Rocket is another NHL caliber backup in Kaapo Kähkönen, who has eight years and 140 starts of NHL experience under his belt that worst case scenerio if Dobeš or Fowler were to go down with an injury, could slot in.
Montembeault, 29, had a rough first three seasons with the Habs after being placed on waivers by the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2015 NHL Draft in the Florida Panthers. From 2021 until 2024, the Bécancour, Quebec native started the most games of any goaltender for Montreal but didn't produce the best results, going 40-52-18 with a 3.42 goals against average and a .899 save percentage over 119 apperances.
The following season was his big breakout during the 2024-25 season, when Montembeault posted a career-best 31-24-7 record with a 2.82 goals against average and a .902 save percentage. However, his hot streak didn't last as his play regressed back this past season and saw him lose starts to more promising options like Dobeš.
As now the third netminder, with Fowler's quick rise up the rankings, it could make Montembeault easy trade bait as he could be moved to a team that needs help at the goaltender position like the New York Rangers.
The fellow Original Six team is off to a flying start with a 7-3-1 record and have largely done it without their goaltenders as superstar netminder Igor Shesterkin suffered a major knee injury that will sideline him for the entire season and backup Joonas Korpisalo is also going to miss time after suffering a lower-body injury.
It has left them with their third string netminder in AHLer Dylan Garand, who has been stellar so far. The 24-year-old was a fourth round pick back in 2020 and was solid in his three starts with the big league club last season, securing a 2-0-1 record with a 1.62 goals against average and a .948 save percentage.
This season, he's made the most of his massive oppurtunity with a 4-2-1 record with a 1.85 goals against average and a .929 save percentage through seven starts. The Victoria, BC native has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his seven starts this season and has largely looked like an NHL goaltender.
However, despite his red hot start to the season, New York would likely love to add some stability behind him to give their young netminder some rest and that is where Hughes and Montembeault enter the conversation.
Perfect Chance at Redemption for Montembeault
The Montreal netminder is in a contract year, carrying a very modest $3.15 million cap hit and could be test driven in the Big Apple. New York could give Montembeault a chance to see what he has and give him an oppurtunity to compete for a job with some runway while Korpisalo remains sidelined and could even push for the backup job. If things were to not work out with Montembeault, it would be no harm, no foul as they would be able to let him walk in free agency.
It appears to be the perfect rental option for a team that aims to contend this season and could use depth at the goaltender position. As for a return, the Habs could simply ask for draft capital that they could use in later deals towards the trade deadline.
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