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Samuel Montembeault

Eastern Notes: Montembeault, Protas, Korpi

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Montreal Canadiens starting goalie Samuel Montembeault is being evaluated after leaving Friday’s game three victory over the Capitals, per NHL.com reporter Dan Rosen.

Head coach Martin St. Louis noted that Montembeault’s status for game four remains uncertain. The 28-year-old left during second period, appearing to be favoring his leg, and did not return. At the time, the game was tied 2-2, although the Habs were able to secure a 6-3 victory to pull closer in the series. In his place, Jakub Dobes was able to stop seven of eight shots he faced down the stretch. The 23-year-old finished the regular season with a 7-4-3 record to go along with an impressive .909 save percentage, which was actually eight percentage points higher than Montembeault’s regular season mark.

While St. Louis said he had “no idea” whether or not Montembeault would be ready for game four, he did discuss the confidence he has in his rookie netminder if he’s needed.

“I think what he did for us this year, he came in and had an incredible start, then he had a bit of a tougher stretch for a young goaltender but he finished strong,” said St. Louis of Dobes. “The last two games he played when you think about it, we needed those points, he played and he delivered good performances.”

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Washington’s Aliaksei Protas could return to action in tomorrow’s pivotal game four matchup against the Habs, per Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post. Coach Spencer Carbery said Protas was a full participate at practice and was able to take full contact. He added that the team will see how the forward responds tomorrow, but it looks promising that he will return to the lineup. Protas has been out of the lineup since April 4th after being cut on his foot by a skate. He burst onto the scene this season, scoring 30 goals and 66 points in 75 games. What’s more, he’s accomplished all these lofty totals while only registering one point on the power play. His 60 even-strength points at the time of his injury tied him with Mitch Marner for eighth place in the NHL.
  • The Boston Bruins are turning their attention to next season and have invited goaltending prospect Cameron Korpi to their developmental camp, per
    Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal. Korpi recently transferred from the University of Michigan to Union College. In one year at Michigan, the rising sophomore had a 7-6-1 record with a .901 save percentage. The 20-year-old is a native of Michigan and has played for various teams, including the Tri-City Storm in the USHL, the Oklahoma Warriors in the NAHL, and the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL.

Evening Notes: O’Brien, Gallagher, Canadiens

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Arizona Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien has been designated as day-to-day with an upper-body injury by head coach André Tourigny, who added that O’Brien will be out of the team’s Wednesday night game against the Minnesota Wild. O’Brien has appeared in 49 games this season, leading the league with 116 penalty minutes – 14 more than Brady Tkachuk, the only other player to break 100 penalty minutes this year.

O’Brien has leaned into the bruiser style, recording over 100 penalty minutes in each of the last three seasons. He’s totaled 404 penalty minutes across just 173 career NHL games – recording more penalty minutes per game than any other NHL player to play in 50 or more games over the last five seasons. It’s a reputation that followed him through his stints in the AHL, where he’s totaled 653 penalty minutes across just 382 minor league games. The 29-year-old winger is serving as a daily lineup fixture for the first time in his NHL career, playing in all but two of Arizona’s 51 games this season. His absence will likely earn Adam Ruzicka an extended stay in the lineup after the waiver claim made his debut with the team on Monday. While he is still waiting for his first point as a Coyote, Ruzicka has managed nine points in 39 games with the Calgary Flames this season.

Other notes around the league:

No Extension Talks Yet Between Canadiens And Samuel Montembeault

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After last season, Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault and GM Kent Hughes both expressed interest in trying to work out a contract extension.  However, the netminder recently told Simon-Olivier Lorange of La Presse that there have been no discussions on that front at this time.

The 26-year-old is coming off his best NHL performance so far, getting into a career-best 40 games last season while posting a 3.42 GAA and a .901 SV% (also a career-high).  On the surface, those numbers don’t stand out but Montreal used a very young and inexperienced back end last season and his save percentage was ten points better than veteran Jake Allen.

Montembeault’s performance helped to earn him a spot on Canada’s entry at the Worlds back in May.  He quickly locked down the number one and made seven starts, putting up an impressive 1.42 GAA with a .939 SV% to help take home a gold medal.

At the moment, there is a bit of a logjam between the pipes in Montreal with Montembeault and Allen being joined by recent trade acquisition Casey DeSmith.  Prospect Cayden Primeau is also waiver-eligible for the first time as well and could conceivably also be in the mix.  However, it won’t be Montembeault getting moved to make room as Hughes reached out to the netminder’s agent to confirm as much.

Montembeault is entering the final year of his contract which carries an AAV of $1MM.  With a total of just 103 NHL appearances under his belt so far, he likely doesn’t have enough of a track record to command top-level backup money but something in the high-$2MM range or low $3MM range could be doable if he puts together a similar showing in 2023-24.  But with Montreal’s current priority seeming to be trying to flip DeSmith and Jeff Petry (also acquired last weekend), it might be a little while yet before talks on a new deal for Montembeault begin.

Canadiens Notes: Montembeault, Hart, Monahan, Galipeau

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A year ago, Samuel Montembeault was just getting through his first full NHL season, one that didn’t go all that well with the Canadiens finishing dead last.  As a result, he didn’t have much leverage in contract talks, ultimately signing a two-year, $2MM deal, one that takes him straight to UFA eligibility in 2024.  Now, following an improved campaign and a strong showing at the World Championship last month, his trajectory is on the upswing.  The 26-year-old is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st and speaking with reporters earlier this week (video link), GM Kent Hughes indicated that he’s open to trying to work out a new deal quickly with his netminder.  Montembeault posted a 3.42 GAA with a .901 SV% in 40 games this season so his next contract shouldn’t break the bank but he has positioned himself to at least double his $1MM AAV whenever he signs his next deal.

More from Montreal:

  • Among the ongoing Carter Hart trade speculation, there have been suggestions that the Canadiens could be interested in acquiring the 24-year-old but Marc-Antoine Godin and Arpon Basu of The Athletic report (subscription link) that this is not the case. Instead, it appears they’ll retain their tandem from this season with veteran Jake Allen joining Montembeault while prospect Cayden Primeau will also jockey for playing time as he is now waiver-eligible.
  • In his latest podcast (video link), Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and TSN notes that there have been discussions about the possibility of Montreal bringing back center Sean Monahan next season. The Canadiens picked up a future first-round pick to take on his contract from Calgary back in August and the 28-year-old did fairly well early in the season, picking up 17 points in 25 games before a variety of injuries ended his season.  Monahan is eligible to sign a contract with performance bonuses this summer as long as it’s a one-year agreement and if he’s willing to do so, he could garner some interest from cap-strapped teams looking for short-term help as well.
  • Olivier Galipeau will remain with Montreal’s farm team next season as their affiliate in Laval announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a one-year, one-way AHL contract. The 26-year-old started the season in the ECHL and was quite productive with 15 points in 19 games before being recalled for the rest of the year to Laval where he put up nine points in 45 contests.

Montreal Canadiens Will Not Trade Sam Montembeault

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When looking around for goaltenders that might be of interest at the trade deadline, one might settle on the Montreal Canadiens. The team gave Cayden Primeau a three-year, one-way contract in the fall that suggested he would soon be installed at the NHL level, but still have Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault taking those spots.

Montembeault, the younger of the two, is only signed through 2023-24, so had drawn some speculation as a potential trade target. The 26-year-old goaltender has been strong for Montreal this year, posting a .912 save percentage in 18 appearances, much better than his older counterpart. Perhaps it is because of that performance that Kent Hughes, speaking with reporters including Eric Engels of Sportsnet, explained that he considers Montembeault a part of the team’s future and will not trade the netminder.

There have been flashes of this before from Montembeault. A third-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2015, he burst onto the NHL scene a few years later and was impressive. The Panthers went 4-0-1 in his first five appearances, before he eventually went through some rookie struggles. It was the same in 2019-20 when he played 14 times in the NHL, showing ability but no consistency. Last year with the Canadiens, Montembeault was left out to dry many nights, playing behind a team that was destined for the first-overall pick. His .891 save percentage in 38 appearances hides some encouraging development that has carried over to this season.

Now, the question is whether or not Hughes’ comments about Montembeault mean anything specific for Allen, who is set to start a two-year extension next season. He has struggled with injuries this year and has an .892 save percentage (easily the worst of his career) in 27 games. The veteran netminder will turn 33 before the new deal kicks in, and will carry a $3.85MM cap hit through 2024-25.

While Montreal isn’t expected to challenge for the Stanley Cup next year, it’s not like they have plans for a years-long rebuild. Not with some of the young talent that is already in place. That leaves a complicated goaltending situation, especially for next season when Primeau will no longer be waiver-exempt. If Montembeault is part of the long-term solution, it’s not clear how the time share will play out over the next few years, as they transition toward playoff contention once again.

Jake Allen Injured, Expected To Miss Time

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Carey Price may be out of the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program and back with the Montreal Canadiens, but he has yet to actually suit up for the team. Price’s readiness may have just become much more dire, as his understudy is now be out of commission. In Saturday night’s match-up with the Detroit Red Wings, starter Jake Allen was forced out of the game after an ugly collision in net in the first period. Detroit’s Dylan Larkin was shoved from behind by Habs defenseman Jeff Petry while on a net drive and had no time to stop before crashing into Allen (video). Initially, it actually appeared that Larkin received the worst of the blow, with Allen seeming alright. Yet, it was Allen who eventually left the game while Larkin returned (and scored a pair of critical goals, including the overtime game-winner.)

If there was any optimism that Allen was kept out only as a precaution and would be able to return to action right away, that was quickly erased after the game. With the Canadiens turning around and traveling to play the rival Bruins on Sunday, the team announced that Cayden Primeau had been recalled and would meet the team in Boston. After Samuel Montembeault played most of the game on Saturday, Primeau may even be the starter on Sunday, as Allen is clearly not available. Just how long Allen will be out remains the critical question.

While there has been no word yet on the severity of Allen’s injury, an extended absence would be a major blow to an already-struggling Montreal squad. Allen has started 14 of 16 games for the Canadiens and has been playing well. Montembeault is a different story, as there is a reason Allen has been a workhorse for the team. The 25-year-old waiver claim has an .885 save percentage and 3.69 GAA in four appearances this season and sadly this is not far from his career NHL numbers either. If Price and Allen are unavailable and Montembeault becomes the de facto starter, life will get even more difficult for the Habs. Primeau, 22, has some brief NHL experience of his own, but his 2020-21 numbers were disastrous and set the young goalie back in his development. Primeau is off to a good start with the AHL’s Laval Rocket this season, but has yet to show he is ready for the NHL. The team hopes Allen is not sidelined long-term or that Price can finally make his return, because the outlook of their young replacement tandem is bleak.

Canadiens Claim Samuel Montembeault Off Waivers

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The Canadiens have added to their goaltending depth as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is among those reporting (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed goaltender Samuel Montembeault off waivers from Florida.

The 24-year-old spent last season with Syracuse of the AHL on a split affiliation between the Panthers and Lightning.  As a result, he was limited to just 13 games, posting a 2.86 GAA with a .898 SV% in that span.  However, Montembeault does have some NHL experience under his belt, playing in 25 contests with Florida between 2018-19 and 2019-20.  He started as Florida’s backup in 2019 before Chris Driedger forced his way onto the NHL roster, pushing Montembeault down at that time.

The Canadiens are currently without starting goaltender Carey Price who is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and this move would suggest that Montreal is at least hedging their bets against him not being ready to start the season.  As things stand, Montembeault will back up veteran Jake Allen with prospects Cayden Primeau and Michael McNiven likely to be assigned to AHL Laval.

Montembeault is on a one-year, two-way contract that pays $750K in the NHL, $250K in the AHL, and has a guaranteed payment of $350K.  He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer.

Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With Sam Montembeault

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With Chris Driedger now in Seattle, there is an open spot as the third-string goaltender for the Florida Panthers. The team signed Christopher Gibson earlier this week, but now have their internal candidate locked up as well. The Panthers have agreed to terms with Sam Montembeault on a one-year, two-way contract. CapFriendly reports that the deal is worth $750K in the NHL, $250K in the AHL, and has a $300K guarantee.

Montembeault, 24, played 25 games for the Panthers in the two seasons before 2020-21, posting a 9-8-3 record and an .892 save percentage. With the emergence of Driedger and the addition of Spencer Knight, his spot as an injury fill-in for the NHL squad was lost. This year he went 8-4-1 for the Syracuse Crunch, posting an .898 save percentage as the Panthers shared an affiliate with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Next season, he’ll likely head to the Charlotte Checkers for plenty of playing time, though waivers will now be required to get him to the minor leagues. The 77th overall pick in 2015, Montembeault still has plenty of time to polish his game enough to challenge for an NHL spot somewhere around the league. He seemed on that track in 2019-20 when he had a strong .918 for the AHL club, something he’ll try to get back to this time around.

With Montembeault signing, it brings some attention to a goaltending depth chart that is relatively thin. He and Gibson have 41 NHL games combined, meaning if Sergei Bobrovsky or Knight get injured, there will be an inexperienced option coming in to replace them. Beyond those four the organization doesn’t even have another goaltender signed to an NHL contract, something that will likely change in the coming weeks.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/19/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The Florida Panthers have activated Sergei Bobrovsky from his non-roster designation and will start him in net against the Chicago Blackhawks this evening. With that in mind, Sam Montembeault has been moved to the taxi squad. Montembeault is still waiver-exempt for the time being, meaning Chris Driedger will serve as the primary backup this season after getting the opening night start on Sunday and stopping 25 of 27 shots.
  • The Montreal Canadiens continue a rotation to the taxi squad in order to bank cap space, this time moving Jesperi Kotkaniemi there on an off-day. As Arpon Basu of The Athletic relays from the front office, the team will be putting Kotkaniemi, Jake Evans, Alexander Romanov, and Nick Suzuki on the taxi squad throughout the year, trying to make it as fair as possible for all the waiver-exempt players. Kotkaniemi will be available for their next game.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have assigned Ryan McLeod to the AHL, removing him from the taxi squad for the time being. The 21-year-old forward has yet to play in the NHL, but did score 11 points in 15 games during a short stint in Switzerland earlier this season.
  • Lias Andersson is set to make his debut for the Los Angeles Kings. The team announced that Andersson has been activated from the taxi squad and is expected to be in the lineup on Tuesday. In his place, Boko Imama has been reassigned to the taxi squad.

This page will be updated as more moves are officially announced.

Minor Transactions: 01/12/20

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The Dallas Stars dropped their first game of 2020 with a loss on Joe Pavelski’s return to San Jose, but the team still owns a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for second place in the Central Division. As we get close to the upcoming all-star break, several teams will be making roster moves to get that extra advantage. Check in throughout the day to see what moves teams are making today:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forward John Quenneville to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. The forward’s first stint with the Blackhawks wasn’t a great one as he went scoreless in nine games, while spending some of that time on the first line. The 23-year-old will return to Rockford where he already has eight goals in 19 games.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have announced they have swapped forwards. The team has recalled forward Connor Bunnaman from Lehigh Valley of the AHL, while assigning David Kase to the Phantoms. Bunnaman has already appeared in four games for the Flyers, but hasn’t registered a point.
  • While not an NHL transaction, the Buffalo Sabres promoted one of their top propsects as goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL from the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, according to Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. While the team did promise the 20-year-old netminder some playing time in the AHL, it looks like he’s earned it as Luukkonen was named and ECHL All-Star with a .917 save percentage in 20 appearances. The goalie has been impressive, especially considering he spent all summer and the start of this season recovering from hip surgery.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard under emergency conditions from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. No word yet on which netminder might be forced to sit out Sunday’s game against Buffalo.
  • CapFriendly reports that after recalling forward Lukas Radil Saturday, the team has re-assigned the forward to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. He did not play last night.
  • The Florida Panthers announced they have recalled goaltender Sam Montembeault from the Springfield Thunderbird of the AHL on an emergency basis. It looks like he will step into a backup role with Chris Driedger getting the start against Toronto after starter Sergei Bobrovsky left practice early on Saturday. Montembeault was originally the backup for the Panthers, but struggled in seven appearances with a 3.31 GAA and a .891 save percentage. He is currently boasting a .917 save percentage in Springfield through nine games. Due to their limited cap space, Florida also was forced to place defenseman Mackenzie Weegar on LTIR, according to CapFriendly.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled defenseman Alexander Yelesin from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 23-year-old was signed in the offseason out of the KHL where he was used as a shutdown defender. No word on whether a Flames’ defender is injured after Saturday’s game against Edmonton, but it’s likely Yelesin will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. He has one goal and four points in 29 games.
  • The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Phillip Di Giuseppe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. The 26-year-old Di Giuseppe has plenty of NHL experience as he has already appeared in 150 NHL, mostly with the Carolina Hurricanes, but has not appeared in a game with the Rangers yet. He has 11 goals and 22 points in 39 games in Hartford. The team also assigned Steven Fogarty to Hartford as well. The 26-year-old Fogarty has no points in six games with New York.

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