Samuel Montembeault: “I’d really like to sign a contract extension”.

For the past two years, Samuel Montembeault has been a great story with the Canadiens. The goaltender, acquired at the last minute to fill Carey Price’s absence at the start of the 2021-22 season, finally got a ton of playing time and has been improving ever since.

I think he’s been dismissed far too quickly when it comes to talking about the CH’s future #1 goalie, for what that’s worth.

That said, we mustn’t forget that the Quebecer will become an uncompensated independent player at the end of the coming season. Clearly, then, the CH must start evaluating the idea of signing him to a contract extension, so as not to lose him for nothing a year from now.

And the good news for Kent Hughes is that the goalie really seems to want to stay in town. At least, that’s what he told Jean-François Chaumont.

Montembeault knows that his file is probably not at the top of the CH’s priority list right now (the draft and Cole Caufield’s case are likely to come first, we agree), but he hopes that negotiations will open up in the coming weeks, as he “loves” playing in Montreal so much.

Of course, Montembeault’s agent didn’t get too far ahead of himself on the matter, but he did echo his protégé’s comments, saying that Montembeault loves being in Montreal and can handle the pressure that comes with it.

And clearly, it’s a good sign that the Quebec goalie is so open about wanting to stay in town.

The fact is, Montembeault is a good goalie and he could be a piece of the club’s future. Whether it’s as the club’s long-term #1 goalie or to warm the chair before a promising young goalie comes to town, there’s a role for him in a Tricolore uniform.

And once again, I’d like to stress that we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss him as the team’s future #1 goaltender. He hasn’t fully proven himself yet, but he’s done very well considering the sometimes dubious defense that was in front of him last year.

In the short term, Montembeault will concentrate on continuing his career with Team Canada at the World Championships, where he is currently performing very well (and enjoying his experience).

This will be a story to follow over the coming weeks, but I really hope Montembeault is in Montreal to stay. A Quebecker who likes the city and performs well is an asset the club needs.

In gusto

– Speaking of Montembeault.

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