Fowler Pushes Montembeault Toward the Exit Door

Samuel Montembeault is ready to play again. The problem for the Montréal Canadiens is that there is no net waiting for him. Jacob Fowler took the job when the season was only a few days old, and he has not given it back.

Fowler is 8-1-2 with a .925 save percentage, a 2.14 goals-against average and two shutouts, and the Canadiens are 11-3-4 and 7-0-3 in their last 10 games. Nobody changes a goalie who is playing like that, and that is exactly why Kent Hughes now has one of the most delicate decisions of his season.

A Claim That Paid Off for Montréal

Montembeault arrived in Montréal on October 2, 2021, when the Canadiens claimed him off waivers from the Florida Panthers. He was a third-round pick (77th overall in 2015) who had not yet found a steady job in the NHL, and the Canadiens gave him the chance. He played 38 games that first season on a team in the middle of a rebuild, and he never left.

He grew into a number one goalie. In 2024-25 he played 62 games with a 2.82 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage and four shutouts, and he has now played more than 200 games in a Canadiens uniform. The Habs rewarded him with a three-year, $9.45 million extension, $3.15 million a year, and that contract runs through this season.

But hockey is a business. Last season was a hard one, with a .872 save percentage in 25 games, and the organization has moved on to Fowler and Dobeš. The Canadiens offered Montembeault a good deal when it mattered. Now they have to move on.

The Plan That Fell Apart

At the Canadiens golf tournament on September 14, Kent Hughes was clear: three goalies in training camp was fine, but he was not going to start the season with three in Montréal. His vision was simple. Jakub Dobeš and Montembeault would share the work with the Canadiens, and Fowler would go back to Laval to play every night.

Then everything changed in the first few games. First, Dobeš struggled from the start of the season. Second, Montembeault got hurt at practice on October 7 with a lower-body injury, the day before he was set to make a start. Third, Fowler was called up to fill the hole and took his spot. Since that night, he has been phenomenal for the team.

The Situation: Montembeault Is Ready

Montembeault is healthy and could take back his spot, but the roster math is ugly. Fowler is not going back to Laval, not after what he has done. Dobeš cannot go to Laval either, because he is not waiver exempt and any assignment would expose him to the other 31 teams.

Hughes does have a few options. The first step is to make Montembeault active, and that means sending a skater to the Rocket to open a roster spot. Beck or Florian Xhekaj are the names that fit. Once the spot is cleared, Hughes can send Montembeault to Laval on a conditioning loan to get his game back. RDS reported on November 10 that Hughes himself described a conditioning stint in Laval as the logical step to finish Montembeault’s conditioning.

The rules matter here. As reported from the collective bargaining agreement, a standard conditioning loan can last up to 14 days. It needs the player’s consent, it does not require waivers, and the player still counts against the salary cap and the 23-man roster. That is why a skater has to go down first. A player coming off long-term injured reserve gets a much shorter window, about three games or six days, and the team can ask for two more games. Which version applies to Montembeault depends on how the Canadiens have him listed, and either way the loan is short, which is why Hughes does not have much time.

After the loan, Montembeault is ready to play. If the Canadiens do not have an injury between Dobeš and Fowler, there is no room for three goalies, and Montembeault is going to be traded if Hughes keeps the words he gave in September. Montembeault is signed through the end of this season, and when Hughes was asked in July whether there is a market for him, the answer was one word: “Yes.”

Where Montembeault Could Land

Hughes is not going to move him just to move him. The destination has to make sense for the player, and that narrows the field. Here are the teams that could fit.

Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago has Spencer Knight in net, and the backup job is in young hands. The Blackhawks recalled Drew Commesso from the AHL on November 8 and sent Arvid Söderblom down, and Söderblom cleared waivers the next day. Knight has been inconsistent so far with a .881 save percentage. A veteran like Montembeault would give Chicago a safer option behind him.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings have Darcy Kuemper ($5.25 million) and Anton Forsberg ($2.25 million), two veteran goaltenders whose contracts both expire after this season. Neither is guaranteed to be back. For Montembeault to land in Los Angeles, the Kings would first have to open a spot by trading one of their own goalies.

Seattle Kraken

Joey Daccord is the Kraken’s number one goalie, and Philipp Grubauer is in the last year of a $5.9 million contract. Montembeault would be a good fit as the backup behind Daccord, and Seattle would not have to commit long term.

Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver is the most complicated case. Thatcher Demko had hip surgery in January, and the Canucks are hoping to get him back before Christmas, but the GM has said there is no timeline. Demko and Kevin Lankinen are both signed for several more seasons, and Lankinen ($4.5 million) has struggled badly, going 1-8-0 with a .808 save percentage as of November 4. The Canucks also claimed Leevi Meriläinen off waivers from Ottawa in September. If Demko returns, Vancouver will have a crowded crease, but Montembeault could still be a number two option for them.

Columbus Blue Jackets

If Montembeault goes to the Metropolitan Division, Columbus is the only team I can see making a deal. Elvis Merzlikins is out after shoulder surgery and Jet Greaves is the starter. The Blue Jackets signed veteran Cam Talbot to a one-year deal at 39 years old, and Montembeault could give them a younger backup behind Greaves.

Hughes Takes Care of His Players

Kent Hughes is recognized around the league as a GM who takes care of his players. He is not going to trade Montembeault to a team where he will not play in the NHL, and that is why the options are limited. I do not think he trades Montembeault inside the Atlantic Division, so the list is short.

What Should Hughes Ask For?

Do not expect Kent Hughes to be demanding in a Montembeault trade. This is not about collecting assets. It is about giving Montembeault an opportunity after the service he gave the Canadiens during the rebuild. I believe the Habs could ask for a fourth-round pick or lower and be happy with it, as long as Montembeault lands somewhere he can play.

What Comes Next

The Canadiens can wait a little longer, and nothing forces Hughes to act this week. But the clock is ticking. With Fowler winning and Dobeš signed, Montembeault is the odd man out, and Hughes will be on the phone soon to find a fix and to help Samuel Montembeault land somewhere he can play. We should expect Hughes to make more moves in the next few weeks, and the same goes for the forwards.

Sources: official NHL statistics and game data, NHL.com, RDS, Dose.ca, HabsWorld, public team and contract reports.

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