Samuel Montembeault's start in the NHL hasn't been easy. Drafted by the Florida Panthers in the third-round (77th overall) at the 2015 draft, he spent two more years in the QJMHL with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armana before graduating to the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
In Florida
After a full season in the AHL, he split up the next two campaigns between the AHL and the NHL. The crease was crowded though with James Reimer, Roberto Luongo and Michael Hutchinson vying for ice-time in 2018-2019. With Luongo retiring and Reimer being a pending UFA, the path seemed like it was clearing but it was only an illusion.
To make up for Bobby Lou retiring, the Panthers GM Dale Tallon drafted Spencer Knight with the 13th overall pick of the 2019 draft (before the Philadelphia Flyers opted for Cam York at number 14, giftwrapping Cole Caufield for the Montreal Canadiens) and decided to go big game hunting on the free agency market. The hunt was successful, he landed Sergei Bobrovsky and signed him to a seven-year contract worth $70 M.
The trail of events lead to Montembeault landing on waivers at the start of the 2021-2022 season with just 25 games of NHL experience. Thankfully for Montembeault though, the crease was anything but crowded in Montreal with Carey Price battling injuries and personal issues. The stars aligned and Montembeault got a new lease on life in his home province.
In Montreal
Being the Canadiens' goaltender is no easy task at the best of times, but in a rebuild? It's even harder to earn your spot in the sunshine. Still, Montembeault battled through it all and last off-season he joined Team Canada at the World Championship, showing both the team and the fans what he could do and gaining confidence in the process.
Nearly three years after being picked-up on waivers, the goaltender is about to start his first season as the team's number one after Jake Allen was traded away and Cayden Primeau's development went slower than expected. When the puck drops on training camp, Montembeault will be ready and he took the necessary means to be this Summer.
This Summer's Training
He turned down Team Canada's invite to another World Championship because he felt he needed a full Summer of rest and training to be ready for the upcoming season as he told La Presse's Simon-Olivier Lorange in an interview published yesterday.
In the same interview, the Canadiens' top goaltender explained how he added something special to his training this Summer. He worked with Neuractiv, a multidisciplinary clinic in Trois-Rivieres, to develop his reflexes and "inner GPS."
As he explained to Lorange, he underwent all kinds of exercises to improve his balance and his coordination in all kinds of positions and situations. There's even an exercise in which he sat into a machine that spins him around and upside down while he tries to aim at targets with a laser pointer. He added:
International Aspirations
Even though he turned down the World Championships this Spring, it's still an objective of his to represent his country at the Four Nations Face-Off next February. The event will be hosted by Montreal and Boston and will feature Team Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland.
It seems like not so long ago, Canada had an overabundance of great goaltenders, but the days of Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and yes, even Marc-Andre Fleury are over. Now, the list of candidates for the national team includes the likes of Adin Hill, Stuart Skinner, Jordan Binnington and Tristan Jarry. It's clear from Montembeault's performance in the last couple of season that he could give them a run for their money in the crease.
In order to do so though he'll need to have a strong season, after all you're only as good as your last performance. Making the Four Nations' roster would be a great start on the way to representing Canada at the Milano Cortina Olympics in February 2026.
There's still a long way to go before then however and for now, the Canadiens remain at the top of his priorities list. Since joining the Habs, Montembeault's numbers have all been trending up and if Montreal can remain healthy for a change, there should be an improvement in the win column. Last season, the masked man lost nine games in tie-breakers with a bit more offensive contribution, a few of those games should become wins.
