RUMOR | The Oilers are reportedly targeting Samuel Montembeault

The Stanley Cup has been won, and trades are expected to be announced shortly in the NHL. Keep in mind that the amateur draft is just about ten days away…

On the Canadiens, two players are more likely than others to be traded: Brendan Gallagher, of course, and Samuel Montembeault.

Rumors have Gallagher heading back home to Vancouver, but nothing has been finalized yet—at least not officially…

As for Samuel Montembeault, there are very few rumors surrounding him. We know that, like Brendan Gallagher, his time with the Canadiens is over, but we don't know where he'll be playing next season.

In the last few hours, however, I've been told that the Oilers have a strong interest in Samuel Montembeault. They aren't the only ones, AND Montembeault isn't the only candidate on their list, but there's clearly a path that could lead to a trade.
We'll know more in the coming days.

According to my sources, the Oilers are reportedly very interested in Samuel Montembeault.

Note: The Oilers aren't the only team to have reached out to the Habs about Montembeault, and he isn't the only goaltender on their radar.

However, there's clearly a path that…

— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) June 16, 2026

The Oilers have been searching for a goaltender for decades… and the Tristan Jarry/Stuart Skinner trade hasn't produced the desired results in Alberta. Skinner still has two years left on his contract (a cap hit of $5.375 million), while Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram will become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Jarry is therefore the only goaltender currently under contract with the Oilers (along with Nathaniel Day, Samuel Jonsson, and Matt Tomkins—all of whom did not play in the NHL during the 2025–26 season).

Will Montembeault form a goaltending duo with Tristan Jarry in September? Will he be a teammate of Connor McDavid, whom he briefly played alongside at the Four Nations Tournament? Will he have Mike Babcock as his head coach (if the NHL allows it, of course)?

It will all depend on the price demanded by Kent Hughes (for a goaltender claimed off waivers, need we remind you?) and the other options available to the Oilers. Is Montembeault's value positive? Negative? High? Zero?

No, we won't get Connor McDavid in exchange for Samuel Montembeault—not even if we throw in Oliver Kapanen, Bryce Pickford, and a second-round pick!

Let's hope Kent Hughes isn't tempted to bring his former client, Darnell Nurse, back to Montreal. Nurse probably has one of the worst contracts in the entire NHL. And he's a lefty…