Canadiens 2025-26 Player Previews: Samuel Montembeault

His SV% may not seem like that of a true NHL starter, but he improved as the season wore on. Every game for Montreal after the 4 Nations Face-Off became a de facto playoff game as the club scratched and clawed its way into the final playoff berth with Montembeault being a major reason as to why they made it.

His underlying statistics prove that. For those not familiar, goals saved above expected provides a way to measure a goaltender’s performance compared to what the average goalie would be expected to save, given the quality of shots they face. Montembeault was among the NHL’s best as he finished fourth among NHL starters with 40 or more NHL starts with a 24.6 in goals saved above expected. Only Logan Thompson, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Conor Hellebuyck finished ahead of him last season. Also, over the last three seasons, the Canadiens’ starter ranks fifth among all NHL goaltenders in goals saved above expected, demonstrating a consistent ability to keep Montreal in close games, something they may not have otherwise been able to do without his performances.

2025-26 Season Expectations 

Montembeault will be entering the second year of a three-year contract that will pay him an average of $3.1 million per season. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound, 28-year-old native of Becancour, Quebec, had himself a breakout season in 2024-25, but this upcoming season has the possibility of surpassing that performance. 

Firstly, he has a solid backup goaltender in Jakub Dobes, who can take on more games, allowing Montembeault to play between 55 and 60 games. This is important to note as no NHL team will have to play more back-to-back games than the Canadiens. With the Olympic break and the incredibly busy schedule, having a quality backup goaltender is going to be key in helping keep Montembeault rested and ready for his starts. With the Canadiens’ recent success, they will no longer be underestimated by their opponents, and quality starts in net will play a key role in any playoff hopes the team has.  

In a recent one-on-one interview with RG.org, Canadiens executive vice president Jeff Gorton was asked about how the lower workload would be good for Montembeault, who was crucial to the team’s push into the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, expressing confidence in the team’s goaltending duo.

“I mean, Sam was very good and solid and consistent, and when you have to make that decision and you need wins, and basically after Four Nations, every game was a playoff game for us.”

Jeff Gorton

With in-season load management available to the coaching staff, Montembeault will have the tools to provide more quality starts, which in turn should give him better statistical outcomes. But the main stat for him will be wins. His 31 wins last season were a career high, yet a 35-win season is attainable. Last season, he was one of Canada’s three goalies at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but didn’t play. This season, he is in the running for the Canadian Olympic squad, and a strong performance would put him on the roster, possibly even convince the Canadian coaching staff to let him start a game or two in the tournament.   

More will be expected of Montembeault going into 2025-26. With a stronger, more experienced team in front of him, but also with him gaining experience and confidence as well as entering the prime age years as a goaltender, he has the tools and momentum to meet and possibly exceed those expectations.