Signing Samuel Montembeault: a first step towards resolving the goalkeeping situation

The Canadiens undoubtedly want to go back to two goalkeepers by putting an end to the ménage à trois.

After all, all three goalies must feel they’re not playing enough. Martin St-Louis must be tired of juggling the goalies. Kent Hughes must be looking for flexibility in his personnel movements.

The CH only has two extra skaters… and as we saw yesterday, when a defenseman (Jordan Harris) is a doubt, it forces the CH to send Joel Armia to Laval to bring Gustav Lindstrom.

But hey. To settle the ménage à trois, a transaction will have to take place. After all, we understand that waivers are not an option for Cayden Primeau.

Elliotte Friedman, who reported Saturday night that the Habs and Samuel Montembeault were trying to reach an agreement on the terms of a contract that would not make the Quebecer an uncompensated free agent this summer, talked about the ménage à trois in his podcast, 32 Thoughts.

And the informer’s conclusion is that the Habs could try to extend Montembeault’s contract to facilitate the matter.

32 Thoughts Monday news & information pod. Links to your preferred platform, here: https://t.co/io7Mr1QEpm Enjoy!

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 13, 2023

What this means, in my eyes, is that it’s not Montembeault who will be traded if things go the way management wants. Of course, you may ask.

But why? Because the contracts of Jake Allen (UFA) and Cayden Primeau (RFA) expire in two years. If Montembeault is traded, the club has its two goalkeepers for next year.

But what if one of the other two leaves? The risk of going down to just one NHL-caliber goalie this summer is very real.

I also really get the impression that the CH, in addition to not wanting to find itself “with not enough goalies” in the NHL next summer, is also thinking short-term right now.

Why? Because if Primeau leaves and Allen gets hurt, who will be goalie #2? Jakub Dobes? #NotIdeal

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Habs sign Montembeault and trade Primeau (among others) for a goalie who can shuttle between the NHL and the AHL, should the need arise. Louis Domingue would fit the bill perfectly.

I’m not saying I’d trade them one for one, because that idea doesn’t take into account their market value and the fact that the Rangers would inherit the problem of three goalies. What I am saying is that for the CH, it would be good in the short term.

How about a goalie who would bring leadership to Laval and depth to Montreal? I guess in an ideal world, that’s what Kent Hughes must be looking for.

In gusto

– With ifs, we go to Paris.

Imagine the club we’d have if Kent Hughes had arrived a year earlierhttps://t.co/biSXqV00V1

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 13, 2023

– What do you think?

Carey Price deserves to enter the Hall of Fame | A text by Félix Séguin: https://t.co/9Plm7lWOE0

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 13, 2023

– Ouch.

– Only two of the top 15 scorers this season are Canadians
– 2022-2023: only 6 of the top 20 scorers were
– the situation in front of the net is even more worrying…
What do you think? #LNH #NHL https://t.co/Nn1YqQi0l4