MONTREAL – Samuel Montembeault signed a three-year, $9.45 million contract on Friday Montreal Canadiens one less gap to fill as they continue to evolve into competitors.
It’s a good deal for him and it could be a great deal for her. Montembeault just turned 27 on October 30th, he’s just taken his first step into his prime and currently has a better save percentage and has saved more expected goals this season More than 13 of the 25 goaltenders in the NHL are earning more than what they are expected to earn next season.
The value to the Canadiens is undeniable, and this contract should make Montembeault feel valued as well.
He only had 103 NHL games under his belt entering this season, but the Canadiens were still willing to take a medium-term bet on what they saw from him over his 88 games in their uniform. That’s not a tiny sample, but it’s not a large enough sample to guarantee he’ll get a deal he’ll be happy with.
Montembeault has it now and he must be thrilled about it. The Becancour, Que. Native wanted to hit free agency this summer, but said multiple times that there was no place he would rather be than between the pipes of his home province and playing for the team he cheered for as a kid. Having this sorted out also gives him some much-needed peace of mind and should put the trade rumors surrounding him out of the air.
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They were churning at full speed, with the Edmonton Oilers in the spotlight, and seemed desperate for an upgrade after a quarter-season of losing goals and Montembeault emerging as a player who could help stop the blood loss. But this deal effectively put those rumors to rest.
How Montembeault has handled them over the last month – while mired in negotiations – and managed to only increase his performance, would have only given the Canadiens less concern about giving him this deal. He was cool as an ocean breeze, which, as goaltending partner Jake Allen noted in a conversation with Sportsnet just ten days ago, is the best quality someone in his position could have.
“I think he’s been consistent day in and day out,” Allen added. “He’s the same on the ice, the same here (in the room), the same in practice, and I think that’s what brings him success. “I think that’s his recipe. Behavior, style of play, technical style of play – his game doesn’t change whether he has a good game or a bad game. He is always here. I was very impressed when I look back at the start of last year at how consistent he was. You’re not always going to have good games, and you’re going to have bad games, but in most of his games he’s been so consistent and reliable, and that’s the most important thing you can be as a goalie as a player in this league. Especially in terms of longevity.
“And I was really impressed with him, especially with how he handled (the pressure of) being a Quebecer…”
It was presumptuous for everyone in the past Gars de chez nousand completely suffocating for someone in Montembeault’s specific position.
But the goaltender who has won five of nine starts and posted a .910 save percentage and the league’s 19thTh– The number of goalkeepers who have played at least as many times this season has exceeded expectations.
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Montembeault’s experience as Canada’s best player in the gold medal battle at the World Championships last spring was a powerful experience that probably only helped, and it must have only reassured the Canadiens that he was someone they could move forward with beyond the season .
If they traded him now, they would spend the next three years looking for two goalies at least as good. Instead, they locked him up and bought time with those they have in their system to prove they can share his web.
Despite playing a single game on Thursday, Cayden Primeau appears to be a candidate. Perhaps he will prove to be an even better player as more opportunities arise over the life of Montembeault’s contract, which does not include trade protection.
Jakub Dobes is 22, in his first year as a professional hockey player, and he too could prove to be a long-term option.
Jacob Fowler, who was ranked 69thTh Selected overall by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft, he is off to a remarkable start in the NCAA, posting a .931 save percentage in his first 14 starts as a true freshman at Boston College. He will graduate when Montembeault’s contract expires.
It could be around the same time that Quentin Miller (inducted 128Thin 2023) or Yevgeny Volokhin (who reached 144Th) appear as options.
The Canadiens don’t need to rush any of them. That only reinforced the value of this Montembeault contract to them.
If you look at the goaltender’s overall performance – which again isn’t great – the Canadiens didn’t spend too much to keep him on the roster. If Montembeault continues to play like he has done most of his time in the jersey, he will provide exceptional value in his upcoming contract.
Montembeault is already doing it for just $1 million this season, and chances are he’ll do it even more now that the matter is resolved.
The Canadiens used him in a three-goalie rotation, but he deserves more volume and will likely receive it as the season progresses — especially if Allen ends up being traded.
He is a serviceable player who can help several teams improve their goaltending skills. The 34-year-old has a seven-team no-trade clause, so it can’t be just any team, and he also has a cap hit of $3.85 million through next season, but those things won’t necessarily be prohibitive , when weighed against his experience and ability.
We’ll see how this works out over time. With Montembeault’s contract keeping him in Montreal, there’s a greater chance the matter will be resolved sooner rather than later.
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