One of the main discussion topics surrounding the Edmonton Oilers over the past few years is, of course, goaltending. It has been a serious problem at certain points of the season, but has also been acceptable at others.
One goalie who has had a rough start to his season is Sam Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens. Goaltender Jakub Dobes is currently taking over the crease in Montreal. Is there a chance the Oilers could pursue a Montembeault trade? Let’s take a look at what the goalie has to offer.
Montembeault’s recent career statistics
GPWLOTLSV%GAA2022–202340161930.9013.422023-202441161590.9033.142024-202562312470.9022.802025-2026114510.8583.56
Over the past four seasons, Montembeault has been fairly consistent with his numbers. He has put up a consistent 0.900 save percentage and has held under a 3.50 goals against average. Unfortunately, those numbers have gone out the window this season. Montembeault has significantly struggled this year, allowing a lot of weak goals. David Pagnotta recently stated that this is a curious position for the Canadiens to be in. Should they move a goalie to boost their roster? If so, the Oilers could be a top team in the running for Montembeault.
The main worry about Montembeault is that he has put up mediocre numbers on a solid Montreal team this season. This has been the same problem with Stuart Skinner on the Oilers. He has had such a good team in front of him; however, his numbers remain average at best. Is Montembeault really that much of an upgrade from Stuart Skinner? At the moment, they are probably in the same category.
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Career achievements
Montembeault has had a little bit of experience in representing his country. He was the starting goalie at the 2022–23 IIHF Men’s World Championship. Here, he was the star in net for Canada, starting in seven games while posting a 6–1 record. Montembeault had an outstanding tournament as he recorded a 0.939 save percentage and a 1.42 goals against average. He was a key reason why Canada captured gold in that tournament.
Montembeault was lucky enough to get his first experience of playoff hockey last year. He appeared in the first three playoff games for the Canadiens and actually did a good job. He lost both of the first two starts he made, but was a solid playoff performer nonetheless. In game two against the Washington Capitals, Montembeault posted a 0.935 save percentage, holding his team in it. Unfortunately, the offence could not help him out. Montembeault was pulled in game three after allowing two goals on thirteen shots. This was an attempt to boost the offence, which scored three unanswered to win in the third period.
Another notable achievement for Montembeault was being named to Team Canada at last year’s 4 Nations Face-off. Yes, he was the third-string goalie, but being a top-three goalie for Canada is something to be proud of. Going forward, there is no doubt that Montembeault has Team Canada on his mind for the 2026 Winter Olympics. If he wants to make that squad, his performance will need to improve significantly.
Should the Oilers pursue Montembeault?
In my opinion, Montembeault is one of the top goalies the Oilers could acquire via trade. There have been rumours on the Oilers being linked to goalies like Jordan Binnington and John Gibson in the past, but Montembeault makes the most sense at this point. He is currently on a great contract at an exceptional price. Montembeault has a relatively low cap hit of $3.15M a year, with two years left. The contract has no trade clauses, so acquiring him may not be as difficult as acquiring other goalies.
Currently, the Oilers have little to no cap space. So, in order for this trade to happen, they would have to trade a couple of other players to Montreal or other teams. A few forwards who could be traded include Adam Henrique and Mattias Janmark. Both of these guys have had good moments as Oilers, but it is time to move on. Henrique is 35-years-old and is making $#M a season. The big problem with his contract is that he has a no-movement clause, so it may be impossible to trade him. Janmark is on a cheaper deal with a ten-team no-trade list. This could be easier to move as he is still a serviceable depth forward.
Yes, trading for Montembeault may be a long shot, but the Oilers must do whatever is possible to improve their goaltending situation. They did acquire Connor Ingram, although it is unclear when he will be ready to return to the NHL. The Oilers have some assets, such as draft picks and decent prospects, which hold some value. Guys like Beau Akey, Tommy Lafreniere, and Quinn Hutson are potential trade chips. This could be enough to acquire Montembeault, as he is not a superstar caliber goalie. At the end of the day, the Oilers need better goaltending. There is no avoiding the current situation.
Do you think the Oilers should pursue Montembeault?
Up Next: Stan Bowman praises Stuart Skinner’s solid starts as he deflects struggles onto defensive play in interview with Bob Stauffer
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