Canadiens’ Goalie Logjam Becomes Oilers’ Big Chance
Yesterday, Trade Talk Sports published a post by Jackson Weber, under the headline: “Oilers reportedly interested in Canadiens goaltender.” Obviously, he wrote the post from an Edmonton perspective. There’s a version of this story that starts with the Oilers, but the more interesting version actually starts in Montreal.
The Oilers, as usual, are looking for goaltending help. That part isn’t new. What is new is where they might be looking, because one of the quieter developments in the league this season has been the Canadiens suddenly finding themselves with more goalies than they can realistically carry forward.
And that’s where Samuel Montembeault enters the picture.
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Montembeault is only available because the Canadiens’ goalie situation has changed radically.
On paper, Montembeault is still the veteran in the room. He’s got the contract, he’s got the NHL experience, and at one point, not too long ago, he was even good enough to get a look with Team Canada. That matters. You don’t just accidentally end up on that radar. But the reality in Montreal has shifted underneath him.
Jakub Dobeš didn’t just arrive. He played his way into the conversation. And once that happens in a rebuild, things tend to move quickly. Add Jacob Fowler into the mix coming up behind them, and suddenly the Canadiens aren’t searching for stability in net anymore. They’re managing competition. That’s why the Oilers are able to even look.
Montembeault went from being the central figure to someone on the sidelines.
Montembeault went from being “the guy holding it together” to being “one of three goalies who all kind of belong in the picture.” And that’s a difficult spot for any organization trying to define its next phase. So when teams like Edmonton start calling, it’s not surprising. It’s almost predictable. Because the league always circles back to the same idea: if you have extra goaltending, someone will eventually ask.
The question for Montreal isn’t whether Montembeault has value. It’s whether he still fits the timeline. Do the Canadiens lean into Dobeš if he’s passed him? Do they protect Fowler’s runway? Or do they try to stabilize the position by keeping the veteran around? That’s the real decision hiding underneath the rumours.
The Oilers have the problem; the Canadiens might have the solution.
Edmonton might solve part of its problem here, but the bigger story is what Montreal decides to do with a crease that suddenly doesn’t have enough minutes for everyone who deserves them.
And in a rebuild, that’s a good problem — until it isn’t.