After reaching the Eastern Conference Final in 2025-26, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes entered the offseason with a clear goal: improve the roster while maintaining the team’s long-term flexibility.
That has created an interesting situation in the crease.
$9.45M Trade Chip’s Canadiens Future in the Spotlight
Sam Montembeault is entering the final season of his three-year, $9.45 million contract and has been the subject of much trade speculation.
The Canadiens currently have three goaltenders competing for NHL opportunities. Along with Montembeault, Montreal has Jakub Dobeš and top prospect Jacob Fowler.
Montembeault struggled during the 2025-26 season, posting a 3.42 goals-against average and an .870 save percentage. His struggles eventually opened the door for Dobeš, who took over the starting role and helped lead Montreal to the Eastern Conference Final before earning a multi-year contract extension.
Fowler also showed during his 17 NHL appearances that he could be ready for a larger opportunity.
That has created a three-goalie logjam in Montreal and could make Montembeault the odd man out. However, Canadiens insider Stu Cowan believes Montreal is unlikely to simply give him away.
Speaking on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, Cowan explained that Montreal could still hold on to the veteran goaltender if the right trade does not materialize.
“They’re not going to start with three goalies. I mean, Kent Hughes said that at the end of the season. He said we keep saying we don’t want to have three goalies, and here we are in that situation again,” Cowan pointed out.
He added that if Montembeault stays in Montreal, Dobeš would likely enter the season as the starter, with Fowler heading to Laval to get regular playing time. Montembeault had two strong seasons before last year’s struggles, giving the Canadiens reason to be patient and hope he can rebuild his value as a backup.
“They’re stockbrokers. They’re not going to give guys away,” Cowan added.
Cowan’s comments suggest that Kent Hughes has no intention of trading Montembeault for a weak return. With a manageable $3.15 million annual cap hit and a history of strong seasons, the Canadiens could wait for a fair offer rather than attach an asset just to move him.
If no suitable trade emerges, Montreal could begin the season with Dobeš and Montembeault in the NHL, while Fowler receives regular starts in Laval.
A strong start to the season could quickly improve Montembeault’s trade value. If another team suffers a goaltending injury in November or closer to the trade deadline, Hughes could then have a much better opportunity to move him.
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For now, the Canadiens appear willing to wait. Montembeault may be part of a three-goalie problem, but Montreal is not going to sell low.
