Samuel Montembeault has been out of the starter's net since the Montreal Canadiens recalled Jacob Fowler on March 11th. Despite the struggles he has faced this season, Montembeault has remained in good spirits. Losing the mantle of starting franchise goalie would bring out the worst in most people. That is seemingly not how Montembeault is wired. The Becancour, Quebec native has not sulked or brought any unwanted attention to the Canadiens, a team that is in the midst of a battle to secure a spot in the NHL Playoffs.
It has become increasingly clear that the future of the Canadiens' goaltending will rest with the two youngsters, Jakub Dobes (24) and Fowler (21), but that has not stopped Montembeault from being a great teammate in the meantime. His commitment to helping the team win was on full display at the team’s practice this morning.
Montembeault serves as screen while Fowler works on screened shots from far out #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gtxNG3UzuH
— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) March 23, 2026
Fowler was working on screened shots from far out, but instead of a skater acting as the screen, it was Montembeault helping out on the drill. Even while out of the lineup, Montembeault is finding ways to help the team, and it is these small moments that showcase just how good a teammate he is. Nick Suzuki has spoken multiple times about how close a unit this team is, and moments like these further reinforce that point.
Montembeault may have lost his spot as the Canadiens number one goalie, but he is not one just to go through the motions for the rest of the season. His number may not be getting called to start games, but that has not stopped him from continuing to work on his craft. Despite everything that has gone on this season for Montembeault, he is still the first person on the ice before practice starts and one of the last players to leave when it is over.
Samuel Montembeault est le premier gardien sur la patinoire ce matin à Brossard.@DLCoulisses #GoHabsGo #Montembeault #NHL pic.twitter.com/r1ufilHVrL
— Patrick Guillet (@PatGuillet) March 18, 2026
Montembeault continues to work with new Canadiens goalie coach Marco Marciano to figure out what exactly has gone wrong this season. His down year was not expected, especially considering how vital he was for Montreal down the final stretch of the season last year. Without him, the Canadiens would not have made the playoffs last season. His overall numbers do not scream elite netminder with a 2.80 goals against average and a .902 save percentage, but the advanced numbers show just how crucial he was for the Canadiens.
His 24.6 goals saved above expected were fifth-best in the NHL last season. Montembeault was keeping the team in games that they had no business winning last year, which makes it hard to believe how his game has fallen this season. But that has not stopped him from continuing to work and figure out what went wrong this season. His qualities off the ice are just as important as his play on the ice, and he will eventually get an opportunity to show that he can still be an NHL-calibre goalie; it just might not be with the Canadiens next season.