Samuel Montembeault: His absence could last longer than initially announced

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Samuel Montembeault: His absence could last longer than initially announced
Credit: Arianne Bergeron/NHLI via Getty Images

Don't call it a goaltending controversy.

The Canadiens are currently counting on Jacob Fowler, who is playing well and inspiring his teammates. They're also counting on Jakub Dobes, who needs to find his footing again.

We can all agree that, heading into tonight's game, the pressure is on Dobes.

Things will get more complicated when Samuel Montembeault returns. After all, the Canadiens won't want (unless something changes) to send Fowler back down…

They won't be able to send Jakub Dobes down either.

Samuel Montembeault could go play some rehab games down there if he's willing (like last year), but that would really be a short-term solution.

And it doesn't change the fact that one day, the Habs will have to either make a trade, place a guy like Monty on waivers, or deal with a three-way situation 3.0.

Except that it's probably not going to happen anytime soon.

Based on what Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports, it's clear that it could take some time before we see the Quebec native back in playing form.

“I was watching Samuel Montembeault yesterday. I ran into Samuel, and I don't get the impression we'll be seeing him back on the ice anytime soon either.” – Renaud Lavoie

If Monty—who is scheduled to be re-evaluated after his 10- to 14-day absence (announced five days ago)—were to miss more weeks than originally announced, that would buy some time.

But it's clearly a shame for the Quebec native, even though the possibility of his absence being extended has always been on the table, when you think about it.

We have three theories as to what might explain the potential change in the timeline.

1. Did the Canadiens misjudge Montembeault, who is more injured than we think? After all, theoretically, he should be playing within nine days…

2. Has his condition worsened recently?

3. Did the Canadiens try to hide the truth from us by announcing a shorter timeline before updating everything in about a week? Who knows.

We often hear that things can change quickly in the NHL. And right now, the Canadiens' injury report forces us to acknowledge that, yes, the lineup on Day 1 of the season is only worth what it's worth.

Injuries to Ivan Demidov, Florian Xhekaj, and Oliver Kapanen are making room for Owen Beck.

Mike Matheson's health status, the Jayden Struble trade, and the uncertainty surrounding Noah Dobson are providing playing time for Adam Engstrom and have allowed David Reinbacher to be recalled.

And in net? Jacob Fowler has gone from No. 3 goalie to No. 1 in just under a week.


In a Nutshell

– The good news here: Oliver Kapanen is skating in Brossard. And he looks pretty comfortable, too. The not-so-good news? No sign of Ivan Demidov, Florian Xhekaj, Mike Matheson, and (of course) Samuel Montembeault.

– Stay tuned.

– Teams need to stop giving these away like candy.

– Interesting.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!