The Edmonton Oilers are not going to be a playoff team if they don’t solve their goaltending and defensive issues fast. They haven’t been playing good hockey to start out the 2023-24 season, and are on pace to miss the playoffs after being expected to be a Stanley Cup contender before the season started. The Oilers’ goalie tandem of Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell didn’t start the season out well and their slow start resulted in the team assigning Campbell to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play with the Bakersfield Condors and try to regain his confidence, with Calvin Pickard serving as the team’s backup goaltender for the foreseeable future.
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The Oilers desperately need a goaltending upgrade or at the bare minimum, a change in net. One trade proposal that has been suggested by insider Darren Dreger is a deal with the Montreal Canadiens that he believes may be farther along than just a rumour at this point. He mentions the Oilers trading prospect Xavier Bourgault to the Habs in exchange for goaltender Sam Montembeault.
Montembeault’s cheap and affordable contract makes him a very attractive asset. For the Oilers to only have to pay a low-level prospect in exchange for what could be their new starting goaltender should be a no-brainer. He is a solid upgrade from Pickard and could be just enough to help the Oilers snap out of their terrible start and put them back on track. With that, here is a bit more on Montembeault and what it would take to bring him to the Oilers.
Who is Sam Montembeault?
Montembeault is a 27-year-old goaltender from Becancour, Quebec currently playing with the Canadiens. He was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers at 77th overall but never broke through with them. He played his junior career with Blainville-Boisbrand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) where he had four strong seasons and built a reputation as a future starting goaltender at the NHL level. Over those four seasons, he played 154 games and posted a 2.54 goals-against average (GAA) and a .899 save percentage (SV%) while winning 87 games.
This season with the Habs, Montembeault has posted a 2.78 GAA and a .908 SV% through eight games. He has been the Canadiens’ best goaltender to start out the 2023-24 season and with the team destined to miss the playoffs and continue their rebuild, he will likely be moved to a contending team that’s looking to improve between the pipes.
Montembeault is in the final season of his contract which holds a $1 million average annual value, making him a fairly budget-friendly goaltender. He may only end up being a rental if he prices himself out of Edmonton after this season is concluded, but he’d be an upgrade and would provide enough stability for the Oilers to be able to make a push for the playoffs.
What Would it Cost the Oilers?
Looking at the suggestion from Dreger, both teams could build around something surrounding the two players he mentioned. The Oilers would still have to find a bit of money to send back the Canadiens’ way, but that shouldn’t be too hard. I would predict a trade that sees Montembeault joining the Oilers in exchange for Xavier Bourgault and Mattias Janmark. Janmark’s $1 million contract makes the deal make sense, and the Oilers have forwards who have been better than him this season, so it shouldn’t be too tough to replace him.
The Oilers are back in action Friday (Nov. 24) in a battle with the Washington Capitals and will be looking to bounce back from an awful 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday (Nov. 22). Hopefully, they can figure out their issues and find a way to start winning consistently.
