The Montreal Canadiens have signed a Sam Montembeault contract to keep the young goalie. According the the Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the goalie signed a three-year deal worth $9.45 million overall. The cap hit will be an average value of $3.15 million and run through the end of the 2026-27 season.
#GoHabsGo have agreed to a 3-year contract extension with goaltender Samuel Montembeault: 3 x $3.15 million.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 1, 2023
Canadiens Ink Sam Montembeault Contract
Montembeault has played for the Florida Panthers and the Montreal Canadiens over his five-year NHL career. The Bécancour, Quebec native has a career record of 38-43-13 and a 3.42 goals-against-average. Montreal’s young goalie also has one career shutout and a .897 save percentage for his career.
The 27-year-old currently has a 5-3-1 mark on the 2023-24 campaign. Montembeault is carding a 2.73 goals-against-average and .910 save percentage. The young goalie has three wins in his last four games. Florida selected Montembeault in the third round, 77th overall of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Montembeault played his major junior hockey with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL. He played four seasons with the club and signed his entry-level deal with the Panthers in 2016. He was claimed by the Habs on October 1, 2021 and has been with the team ever since.
What it Means
The young goalie has been one of the better 5-on-5 goalies this season. Montembeault is part of the troika of goalies that includes Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau. Montreal is currently carrying three netminders because it doesn’t want to sneak Primeau through waivers because the team thinks he’ll be claimed.
All three goalies have been subject to trade rumours, but the Sam Montembeault contract should quiet down much of that talk. Montembeault looks to be at least part of the future in between the pipes for the Habs. The focus now turns to Allen or Primeau as possibly being traded sometime this season. Montreal has shown some flashes of being a fun and exciting team, but it needs to make a few moves to take the next step.
Main photo by: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
