Samuel Montembeault has been a revelation for the Montreal Canadiens, navigating the murky waters of playing with an unreliable backup.
Picked up on waivers by the Canadiens, Montembeault was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NHL Draft (77 overall) by the Florida Panthers. After playing parts of three seasons split between the Panthers and their American Hockey League affiliate the Springfield Falcons, and the Syracuse Crunch, he was placed on waivers. Montreal claimed Montembeault on October 2, 2021, and since the Bell Centre faithful have embraced him with open arms.
According to Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, Montembeault is undeserving of the question about why he was selected as one of the three goaltenders for Canada's Four Nations roster. He has steadily improved and grown with the Canadiens, developing into a NHL starting goaltender. Montreal is aware of how good Montembeault is, and given his success with Hockey Canada, he is respected on the international stage.
"He makes Team Canada and people are questioning it and I don’t know why. He’s been so good for us the last few years ... I think he’s slowly gaining that recognition, if he gets a chance to play in net for Canada I think people will really fall in love with him."
— nick suzuki sniffles (@habsfolder) January 13, 2025
Nick on Monty pic.twitter.com/OsROtzNrtI
Whether he earns the starting role with Canada over Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill remains to be seen, but the disrespect needs to stop. It will be an uphill battle, in my opinion, to earn the role ahead of two Stanley Cup-winning goalies. Montembeault doesn't currently have a Stanley Cup, but I would have to think his Gold medal-winning performance at the World Championship in 2022-23 gives him an argument for the crease.
It's also unfair to compare the trio of goalies since the Vegas Golden Knights and the St Louis Blues were built for deep playoff runs. Since Montembeault has been with the Canadiens, they have essentially been rebuilding. Having said that, Montreal's current roster doesn't resemble those rosters.
Binnington and Hill deserve their respect, they were brilliant for their respective teams, but Montembeault and the Canadiens are on the rise. I'm not sure how Hockey Canada's management will handle the starts, but it would be in their best interest to establish their starter right away. The confidence that the starter earns from knowing the coaches trust him, could be the difference between a Gold Medal or none at all.
Montembeault is paving the way
It's unclear who the starter for Team Canada will be, just like it's quite murky looking at the goaltending outlook for the Habs over the next three to five years. Jakub Dobes has grabbed the backup role for now, but things are going to change in the next year, maybe two. Jacob Fowler is playing his second season in the NCAA with the Boston College Eagles, but there is a chance that he will sign his entry-level contract when his college season ends.
By the time the college hockey season ends, I think Fowler will have a clearer idea of what his plans are for the 2025-26 campaign. It's a big decision, and I think that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are going to, alongside Fowler and his family, decide what makes the most sense. I never argue with anybody who thinks that a rookie goaltender should start in the AHL first, so I think that is where Fowler will play next year if he forgoes his junior year, to start his professional career.
With Fowler likely another season away from the Canadiens, it is an interesting question to ask. Who will be the odd man out - Dobes, Fowler or Montembeault? You have to think that Montembeault is in his prime, and moving on from that when you have Stanley Cup aspirations is quite the decision to make.
I think that if the club is as high on Fowler as it appears, the Dobes could be the guy who ends up being dangled in a trade. In three years Montembeault will be 31, and I think that is within his prime, where he should be playing at the top of his game. Fowler will have to prove himself first, but all signs indicate that he is going to be a very good NHL starter.
The goalie battle is going to be fun in a few seasons, and in my eyes, Montembeault is the one with everything to lose. Montreal doesn't have Carey Price or Ken Dryden between the pipes, so while Montembeault is the definitive starter, I think it's a role that could be taken from him. Maybe that opinion changes at the end of this year or next, but Fowler could very well wrestle the role away from Montembeault in 2026-27.
We will all sit back and enjoy the show unfolding in front of us, and the best man will win which will only make the Habs quest for a Stanley Cup championship even more attainable.