The season for the Montreal Canadiens was a success, as they advanced to the Eastern Conference Final after road Game 7 series wins over the divisional rival Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres before eventually falling to the Carolina Hurricanes.
However, there is much to look forward to for Canadiens fans, especially after the recent contract extensions for both Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes, the latter of whom has taken firm hold of the starter’s reins.
Dobes, who emerged as Montreal’s new starter, signed a three year, $16.05 million contract to keep him with the Habs for the foreseeable future.
But while the Canadiens were attempting to find a market for goaltender Sam Montembeault, who became expendable thanks to the rise of Dobes, they may be forced into holding on to him.
The Trade Market For Montreal Canadiens Goaltender Jakub Dobes Reportedly Dried Up
According to Vincent Duquette of the Journal de Montréal, the market for Montembeault has essentially dried up.
“Meanwhile, interest in the goaltender from Bécancour appears to be nonexistent on the trade market,” he wrote.
The Canadiens goaltender began the season first on Montreal’s depth chart but was unable to hold onto the role, which was taken by Dobes, and he was eventually assigned to the American Hockey League affiliate Laval Rocket.
The 29-year-old appeared in 25 games, posting a 3.43 goals-against average and an .872 save percentage. His Quality Starts percentage continued its downward trend, falling from 70 percent in 2023-24 to 53.3 percent in 2024-25 before dropping to 34.8 percent last season.
He also has one year left on his contract with a $3.15 million cap hit, and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Montembeault was originally taken in the third round (77th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers, with whom he’d begin his professional career before eventually being waived in October 2021 and subsequently claimed by the Canadiens.
So far in his NHL career, Montembeault has amassed a record of 90-92-32 with a 3.23 goals-against average, a .896 save percentage, and five shutouts. It once seemed as though he was going to tbe the goaltender of the future for the Habs, but he’s become expendable thanks to the emergence of Dobes and Jacob Fowler waiting in the wings.
The Canadiens Could Roll With Jakub Dobes And Jacob Fowler
According to Canadiens journalist Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette, the club could move forward with the tandem of Dobes and Fowler, while he expects Montembeault to eventually be moved at some point.
“(GM) Kent Hughes said when he spoke with us yesterday that Fowler is going to play somewhere this year, he’s not going to sit on the bench like he did through the whole playoff run,” Cowan said. “I think he played eight minutes in the playoffs. And whether that is that going to be a lot of games in Laval, or is it going to be some games in Montreal? I think at this point, Sam Monto is going to get traded, and we’re going to see Jacob Dobes play 50 games somewhere in that neighborhood, and Jacob Fowler play 32.”
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