Samuel Montembeault: the Canadiens are working hard to sign him

Let’s face it, the Habs need a number-one goaltender of the future. Is it/will it be Samuel Montembeault, Cayden Primeau, Jacob Fowler…?

The question is being asked, and at the moment, we can’t even say that Montembeault is the CH’s #1. The Quebecer is in the final year of his contract, and on July 1, he will become an unrestricted free agent… unless Kent Hughes and the Quebecer’s camp come to an agreement by then.

And the news is very good. According to Elliotte Friedman during the second intermission of the Canadiens-Bruins game, Montreal is working hard to sign him.

Nikita Zadorov trade request, the Oilers, and a Sam Montembeault extension.

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The Habs currently have three goalies in their 23-man roster, and signing their goalie would probably mean he’s here to stay, once and for all.

Yes, it seems obvious at the moment, but Darren Dreger has already raised the possibility of him being traded. And yet, like the Tricolore’s other two goaltenders, he’s off to a good start this season.

His goals-against and save averages don’t jump off the page, but he’s among the NHL’s top goaltenders for saves above projections. It’s not a statistic that means nothing. And tonight, against one of the NHL’s best teams, he was smoking hot, turning aside 26 of 28 shots.

I can’t wait to see the terms of Monty’s next contract. In July 2022, he signed a two-year contract worth a total of two million dollars. He should therefore benefit from a nice salary increase.

Will it be a long-term contract? Montembeault wants to stay in the metropolis, and Montreal is looking for a trusted number-one goalkeeper. However, signing him for so long would be a risky gamble. The Quebecer hasn’t necessarily proven that he deserves such a contract.

Since joining the Habs, he’s been solid, but hasn’t posted extraordinary statistics.

Marc-Olivier Beaudoin, on the other hand, expects a more medium-term contract (three to four years). That’s what I’m expecting too. I don’t think Kent Hughes would take the “risk” of signing him for five, six, seven or eight years.

Extension

After the meeting, Dave Morissette and his staff mentioned that they had spoken to Paul Corbeil, Samuel Montembeault’s agent…

The guys seemed to be saying that a multi-season contract extension was on the verge of becoming a reality. Laughing, they even asked Montembeault in a post-game interview if he could announce a long-term contract extension. They mentioned that they had chatted with his agent during the evening.

We’ll keep you posted, but the goalkeeper hopes to sign. He confirms that discussions are underway.