“Samuel Montembeault will be the Habs’ #1 goalie in the playoffs.”

Félix Forget
“Samuel Montembeault will be the Habs’ #1 goalie in the playoffs.”
Credit: Getty Images

The 2025-26 season wasn't exactly Samuel Montembeault's best ever. The Québécois struggled for several weeks at the start of the season, to the point where the Habs were forced to call up Jacob Fowler as backup.

Monty has clearly lost his position as #1 goaltender this season.

That said, things seem to be quietly picking up for him recently. He did well in his first two starts following his return from his stay in Laval… and more and more, he's starting to figure in the club's plans for this season.

And Renaud Lavoie, who discussed Monty's case on BPM Sports today (in connection with the idea of trading him, which Elliotte Friedman put forward yesterday), even went so far as to say this:

Samuel Montembeault, this season, is the one who's going to take the team to the playoffs and who's going to be the #1 goaltender. – Renaud Lavoie

https://www.youtube.com/live/Y_kbvWE6mr8?si=NUNynutfnOG18lB7&t=8152

Lavoie explains that Montembeault is the club's experienced goaltender and that the Habs haven't lost faith in him at all. The club knows what its goalie is capable of, and still sees him in its plans to finish the season.

And they obviously don't just see him in a secondary role.

We know that Jacob Fowler is playing some great hockey right now, which means he'll be hard to break down. But in reality, even if Kent Hughes has praised his young goalie's mentality, it's normal for kids to have ups and downs.

We've seen it with Jakub Dobes this year: he was on fire at the start of the season, but he's been one of the worst goalies in the NHL for the past few months.

Keeping a tandem of two young goalies clearly doesn't seem to be in the Habs' plans, who still seem to see Montembeault as their #1 goalie come April.

The plan can always change, we agree… but it's interesting to hear.


Overtime

– Speaking of the coming months.

– Good news!

– News from the Canucks.

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