Samuel Montembeault and the Rangers: Three Obstacles to a Trade

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Samuel Montembeault and the Rangers: Three Obstacles to a Trade
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

It's only natural to link Samuel Montembeault to the Rangers.

I know, I know: Monty is currently injured. But it's highly likely that the Canadiens will try to trade him once he's healthy again—even if that would leave only two young goalies to guard the net in Montreal.

Naturally, the Rangers' name comes up often in discussions.

Except that right now, it seems that as we look at the situation, it's becoming less and less likely that Monty could be traded to the Rangers.

Why? Because of three factors. The first, obviously, is his current injury. The Canadiens' goaltender doesn't seem close to returning to action.

The fact that Joonas Korpisalo isn't out for the long term (four weeks as of October 10) means the Rangers can be patient before considering a move for an established goaltender. That's another aspect to keep in mind.

And finally, when Korpisalo returns, they'll still need to keep a spot open for Dylan Garand, who's really on fire these days.

Garand, who was drafted by Jeff Gorton in 2020, struggled in the minors for years, but he's been playing really well since the start of the season. He deserves the chance to keep going.

The plan right now is for Garand to keep playing well. If he can hold down the fort until Korpisalo returns, he'll be able to split duties with the veteran.

Things can change quickly, of course, but right now, we don't see why the Rangers would go out and find another NHL goaltender to create a potential three-way rotation.

So for now, it's hard to see why the Rangers would want Monty—once he's healthy, of course. But as we've said: sometimes, things change quickly.


In a Nutshell

– Macklin Celebrini.

– Yes.

– Worth noting.

– Out in Florida.

– Well done.

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