The Montreal Canadiens are looking to shore up their goaltending depth for the next few seasons. Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau are already signed through 2024-25, but Sam Montembeault will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of this season. With three goalies, there’s no need for Montreal to rush into an extension with Montembeault. However, he has played very well over the last couple of seasons, and management may not think Primeau is ready to take the next step.
The Habs also have goalie prospects in their system, Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler, who could be the future tandem for the Canadiens, but they are still a few years away. This is a huge reason why signing Montembeault to an extension is significant.
Canadiens Montembeault Could Be the Best Option for Short-Term
Given Allen’s age, 33, and Primeau’s inexperience, Montembeault is the best option if the Canadiens want a short-term solution until their hopefuls are NHL-ready. Allen will be 34 next season and is optimal trade bait to help a contending team. If management wants to focus on youth, then Allen is the odd man out, and Montembeault is gaining enough experience to take over the veteran reins and help guide the next generation.
General manager Kent Hughes wants to build his team without many players over 30; right now, the Habs are the third youngest team in the league, tied with the Buffalo Sabers with an average age of 25.9. David Savard, Tanner Pearson, Joel Armia, and Chris Wideman will probably be gone by next season, leaving Brendan Gallagher as the only player over 30.
Primeau is signed through next season, but his lack of experience and success makes him a long shot to take over as the starting goaltender. If the team can sign Montembeault, it could open a spot for Primeau to be a regular backup and gain more experience and confidence at the NHL level. Montreal has started the season with a three-goalie system because they have enough confidence in Primeau that they don’t want to lose him for nothing if he is sent down and doesn’t clear waivers. However, this system could hamper Primeau’s development, as he has only played two of the Habs’ 16 games.
Canadiens Need to be Careful Not to Overpay for Montembeault
Management needs to be very careful with Montembeault’s next contract. They need to decide whether he is part of their long-term or short-term future and not throw too much money his way if it’s short-term. It’s safe to say he is not in the Canadiens’ long-term plans, especially with the number of goalies they drafted in 2023. He also has yet to prove he is a legitimate number-one goalie, and we all know how well other teams did when they signed a backup goalie to a big contract to be their future starter – yes, I’m talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Related: Canadiens Might Have Missed the Best Time to Trade a Goalie
The Canadiens can use a few comparables to judge what Montembeault’s next deal should look like. Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild is signed to a three-year deal with a $3.75 million average annual value (AAV), and Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins recently signed a three-year, $3.5 million AAV deal. Both goalies are similar in age and have come into their own in their mid-twenties, like Montembeault. The Canadiens are sure to do their due diligence and look at other goaltenders around the league in the same age group with similar statistics before jumping into a contract. That Allen is being paid under $4 million AAV for another season could also be a factor.
Canadiens Signing Montembeault Could Mean a Trade Shortly
If the Canadiens are determined to sign Montembeault, it would likely mean a goaltender will be on the move soon. Allen is the most experienced of the three and would make the perfect backup or stand-in for any team that needs goaltending help in a push for the playoffs and through a Stanley Cup series. The Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs could all use improved goaltending this season. An argument can be made that Allen wouldn’t be much of an improvement, but his experience can’t be matched: he has a Stanley Cup ring, was a former starter, and is a quality backup who can lead a team when needed.
With Allen’s big contract and the team carrying three goaltenders, Allen may not be on the trade market, which means the Canadiens might be willing to move Primeau or Montembeault. Montembeault’s signing could be a sign and trade to make him more valuable, considering he is an FA next season. Primeau could also be on the move; he has been included in the goalie rotation more often recently and held his own against some of the top teams in the NHL. His stats don’t look good on paper, but his play has been excellent against very good competition. The Canadiens were reluctant to put Primeau on waivers to send him to Laval because they knew several teams were interested in claiming him, and the Habs would lose him for nothing.
If the Canadiens sign Montembeault to a multi-year contract, they will probably keep him in Montreal. With Allen and Primeau becoming UFA at the end of next season, they are more likely to be on the trade block than Montembeault. Without an extension, Montembeault’s expiring contract might be easier to move but trading him would leave the Canadiens with an issue in net next season.