Samuel Montembeault: Two Days of Practice Raise Questions

Félix Forget
Samuel Montembeault: Two Days of Practice Raise Questions
Credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Samuel Montembeault has had a busy few weeks lately. The goaltender, who has been at the center of trade rumors for months, became a father this summer.

Given his family situation, it's safe to assume he wouldn't be opposed to having some clarity about his future.

And through it all, he has to prepare for the upcoming season. We saw him back on the ice quickly after his child was born; he was back in Brossard last Thursday.

Except that for the past two days, Monty's situation has been… strange. And that raises questions.

Yesterday, for example, the goaltender was on the ice in Brossard. However, his on-ice session was extremely short: he skated for only about ten minutes before leaving—and didn't return. Our colleague Patrick Guillet, who was on site yesterday, reported all of this.

And today, Montembeault was back in Brossard… but this time, he didn't even step onto the ice.

He went for a workout in the gym, then left.

And in reality, all of this is rather unusual. Maybe it's simply part of the goaltender's preparation plan, but when you look at it, you have to wonder if it's related to some kind of injury.

Limited ice time, training restricted to the gym—that's pretty reminiscent of an injury management pattern.

If the goalie is indeed injured, that would obviously complicate a trade. It wouldn't be an ideal scenario for anyone… and a long-term absence wouldn't help at all.

In fact, it might simplify the goaltending situation at camp, but we can all agree that wouldn't be the best way to address this issue. Stay tuned, then.


In a Nutshell

– Speaking of the Habs' goalies.

– Note:

– A story to watch.

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