Samuel Montembeault
Samuel Montembeault's numbers haven't been impressive and his statistics are more of the same. But to have better numbers behind the rebuilding Canadiens, he would need to put in Vezina Trophy performances every night and that isn't realistic. His 15-14-7 record also isn't indicative of how good he has been.
There have been games where the Canadiens as a cohesive unit have looked lackadaisical, but Montembeault willed the team to a win. And going forward it's unlikely that the keys to the crease don't go through him. If Cayden Primeau wishes to usurp Montembeault as the starter, he is going to need to bring his A-game.
It's a fair bet that Montembeault will continue to be the starter for next year unless Primeau unseats him from his role. A role that he has worked very hard to get and even harder to maintain. Montembeault has the respect of the coaching staff and the players, simply because he shows up consistently every night and his ability to shake off a goal or loss and shift his focus to the next challenge remains a constant.
Montembeault and Primeau will remain one and two for at least the next two seasons before Jakub Dobes challenges for a spot. If not him, then Jacob Fowler would be the most logical option, but that is looking into the crystal ball and trying to predict the future. For that reason, Montembeault is the fifth and final X Factor for the 2024-25 season.