Almost halfway through August, Samuel Montembeault is still a member of the Montreal Canadiens, and nothing seems to indicate that will change soon...
After last year's debacle, I believed that the Montreal Canadiens would be moving on from Samuel Montembeault this summer. Jakub Dobes rose to the challenge when he was allowed to take the number one goaltender job, and Jacob Fowler showed that he could make the jump to the NHL, which could have made Montembeault surplus to requirements.
However, Kent Hughes made it clear when he was hired that he wasn’t the kind of GM who would buy high and sell low, and Montembeault’s value is at an all-time low. Had he been able to get what he believes is fair value for the goaltender, I think the GM would have moved the Becancour native. After a season in which he ended with a10-8-4 record, a 3.43 goals-against average, and an .872 save percentage, it makes sense that his value is so low, especially since he was never a .915 SV goaltender. For the three years before the last campaign, Montembeault had a .901, .903 and .902 SV; that’s respectable, but it’s not great.
Given that the Canadiens had claimed him off waivers, I believed he would be a player Hughes would be willing to sell low, but now that we’re deep in August and so many teams have acquired new goaltenders, it appears increasingly unlikely. It seems he figured that if he’s not getting fair value for him, there is no harm in bringing him back next season and allowing him to improve his value.
I see it as a gamble, though. He may not be able to bounce back and improve his trade value. Of course, everyone would like him to bounce back; Montembeault is as nice a guy as you can find, but it may not work out that way, and if it doesn’t, it could hurt the team. The Habs are no longer focused on just developing players; they want results. Last season, the Canadiens were nervous when they were playing in front of Montembeault. They knew he wasn’t confident, and it affected their own confidence. The young Habs do not need that kind of distraction.
Yes, Fowler can go down to the AHL without clearing waivers, so that’s an easy move to make, and it won’t be detrimental to his development, even though I believe he would be best served getting used to the speed of the NHL at its level rather than spending another year facing AHL shots. But if Montembeault doesn’t bounce back, the move could be detrimental to the team and affect the standings.
The Atlantic Division will be the toughest in the league this year, and making the playoffs won’t be a walk in the park. The Canadiens cannot afford to lose points here and there because they’re trying to raise Montembeault’s trade value. Hopefully, if they decide to give the goaltender another chance, he will be on a rather short leash, and they won’t hesitate to bring up Fowler if need be. It seems Hughes would rather let Montembeault walk away at the end of his contract than trade him at a value he feels isn’t fair; that’s understandable, but that shouldn’t be allowed to hurt the team.
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