After acquiring goalie Casey DeSmith in a blockbuster deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Montreal Canadiens are looking at a bit of a logjam between the pipes.
DeSmith, who was traded along with Jeff Petry, Nathan Légaré, and a draft pick in exchange for Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick last weekend, is one of four NHL-caliber goalies Montreal has on their roster.
The move undoubtedly created some uncertainty in the mind of fellow Montreal netminder Samuel Montembeault, who took strides toward becoming the team’s future starter last season.
While attending the Pro-Am Gagné-Bergeron, a charity game in Quebec City on Thursday, the Bécancour native revealed to journalists that his concerns had been eased after a conversation with Habs general manager Kent Hughes.
“Kent was super cool. Almost as soon as the trade was over, he spoke with my agent to tell me not to worry.” said Montembeault, “It’s nice that he took the time to do that.”
Although it’s been nearly a week, Hughes has not yet spoken to the media regarding the trade, indicating that another deal could be on the horizon.
Claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers in 2021, Montembeault first took on the role of backup to Jake Allen after it was announced that Carey Price would be placed on LTIR.
That role evolved last season, though, with Montembeault and Allen splitting the crease down the middle. The 26-year-old finished the season with slightly better numbers all around, leading many to believe he could be a starter.
That idea was further supported by Montembeault’s stellar performance as Canada’s starter at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in May, which saw him take home a gold medal.
Along with Montembeault, DeSmith, and Allen, the Canadiens also have goalie Cayden Primeau in their system. As a result, it would come as no surprise if one of the four netminders was shipped off before the start of the season.