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In Hainsight: What to Expect from Samuel Montembeault |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
The offseason is nearing its end and Samuel Montembeault hasn’t signed an extension yet even though the young netminder has let it be known he’d like to settle the matter before the start of the season. For the last two years, the Becancour native has split the work with Jake Allen and he’s got to be happy with the way things have evolved.
He joined the Canadiens has a waiver wire pick-up and most thought he was just a band-aid, a temporary solution to the crisis created by Carey Price’s health, but after a couple of seasons, he’s showed he’s got a lot of potential. Last year, playing behind one of the youngest defense corps in the league, Montembeault showed that he could more than hold his own. On a team that focused heavily on development rather than winning, he signed 16 wins (two more than Allen) and kept a save percentage of .901. His performance earned him an invite to the World Championships and he led Canada to a goal medal.
On top of showing Mounty’s potential, the last couple of seasons have also shown that Jake Allen cannot really handle a heavy workload anymore. The 33-year-old has had more than his share of injuries and clearly, a lighter workload would give him a better chance to stay healthy. Therefore, unless Montembeault has an awful training camp, he should be getting the number one job this upcoming season.
Even if there are 4 goaltenders with NHL contract when camp opens, I can’t see Montembeault losing the top job. Cayden Primeau has had many opportunities to show what he can do at the NHL level and he’s yet to impress. As for the new acquisition Casey De Smith, he was the back-up on a stronger Pittsburgh team and could only manage 15 wins. If he does stick around, it will be for goaltending depth or as an insurance policy if Primeau is claimed on waivers. It’s also quite possible that he’s dealt before training camp though considering the fact that he hasn’t had a media availability yet and that GM Kent Hughes was in no rush to speak to him.
Some have suggested that De Smith might have been acquired to put pressure on Montembeault in his contract negotiation, but I don’t see it. De Smith is 31 years old and a career back-up, which makes his $1.8 million cap hit logical. Montembeault is younger and has yet to reach his full potential. This year, he should be the team’s number one and his new contract should reflect that reality. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.
So, what should we expect from Montembeault? We should expect a contract extension and to see him get the lion’s share of the work. Furthermore, I think we can also expect the upwards trajectory of his stats to keep going. The Canadiens won’t be a playoffs team this season, but if they’ve got better luck with injuries and can have guys like Caufield, Dach and Matheson for the whole season, they’ll be a lot more competitive and some stability on the blue line will no doubt make the goaltenders’ life easier.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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