Insiders predict a summer trade for Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault

The morning of June 1st marked the official end of the Montreal Canadiens' season as they held their locker cleanout day, and with that, a host of questions for staff and players alike. A player who has had questions swirling around him more than most of his teammates over the past season was goaltender Samuel Montembeault.

“It was just a bad season this year,” said Montembeault when asked about the possibility of going to a team in need of goaltending. “All three seasons before that I was really good, like last year I finished fifth in goals saved above expected, I had a good season and a good playoffs. I know I can do it.”

“I just want to turn the page this summer, put the work in and make sure it’s just a one-off.”

And for his sake, let’s hope it truly was a one-off. When all was said and done, Montembeault finished the regular season with a 3.43 GAA and an .872 save percentage, one of his worst statistical years ever. His next closest was his first full year with the Habs, the 2021-22 season, where he played 38 games and finished with a 3.77 GAA and a .891 save percentage.

Not that 2021-22 rests solely on his shoulders, not by a country mile, but Montreal finished dead last in the standings that year with a measly 55 points, leading them to pick Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in the draft that year.

What are the Canadiens' options this summer when it comes to Samuel Montembeault?

The first and frankly least exciting option is to do nothing. “I have one year left on my deal, I don’t make those decisions. All I can control is having a good summer.” Said the 29-year-old goaltender. And he’s right, there is still a year left on his 3-year deal, which carries a $3.15 million AAV. With the NHL salary cap rising and the likelihood of both Patrik Laine and Brendan Gallagher coming off the books, absorbing that amount for one more year is not an absurd concept.

However, pundits such as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic seem to disagree with that notion. “Samuel Montembeault is not going to play another game for the Montreal Canadiens and he’s under contract, so they’re going to have to move him,” . “He’s a backup at this point, I think, for someone.”

Running with that perspective, what might shipping off Montreal’s number 35 look like? Teams with shaky goaltending who are rebuilding, like the Vancouver Canucks may have some interest and certainly have the assets to make a move. Gallagher to his home of Vancouver for Filip Chytil was suggested on Jeff Marek’s “The Sheet”, so maybe a bundle with Montembeault would make sense in a more direct hockey trade.

Either way, a decision needs to be made when it comes to Montembeault. It seems to be less of a question of “if” and more of a question of “when” and “how”. Whether it’s a move this offseason, a trade in-season, or maybe free agency at the end of next season, one thing is clear: Montembeault’s time in Montreal is nearing its end.