Points Slipping: Should the Canadiens Call Up Kahkonen?

The Montreal Canadiens haven’t been getting blown out night after night. And that might be the frustrating part. They’ve been in games. They’ve pushed late. They’ve been ahead. And then—too often—they’ve watched points slip away on odd goals, power-play breakdowns, or shots they absolutely needed a save on.

You can survive a lot in this league. You can’t survive constantly chasing games you were already holding.

The Canadiens’ Goalies Have Let Some Games Slip.

Sam Montembeault has worn a lot of this. Fairly or not, that’s how it goes for goaltenders. Against Boston, he stopped 17 of 21 in a 4–3 loss, with three of those goals coming on the power play. Montreal’s penalty kill sits near the bottom of the league, and no goalie thrives behind that. Still, the numbers don’t lie either. Montembeault is sitting with a save percentage south of .870, and after a brief strong stretch, he’s dropped three of his last four starts.

This isn’t about running Montembeault out of town. He’s battled and carried the load through some tough years. But part of growing a team is knowing when the room needs a jolt—and when a goalie needs competition. He can be a great goalie. But might there be another choice in the wings?

That’s where Laval comes in.

Should the Canadiens Give Kaapo Kahkonen a Chance?

Kaapo Kahkonen isn’t a mystery. He’s also not a youngster who needs protection and development reps. He’s 28, has over 140 NHL games on his résumé, and has seen just about every version of this league—good teams, bad teams, no-support teams, and everything in between. Right now in Laval, his numbers are respectable: a .905 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average on a team that hasn’t exactly been airtight defensively.

Is that elite? No. Is it credible? Absolutely.

The Canadiens need to make some sort of change, if only to try something different. They need someone to put some pressure on Montembeault. They need a reminder that starts aren’t automatic and that details matter—especially late in games. Kahkonen fits that role better than forcing a three-goalie circus or rushing younger prospects who need reps, not chaos.

The Canadiens Aren’t in a Position to Make a Huge Splash.

Sometimes the right move isn’t dramatic. It’s practical. Bring Kahkonen up. Let Montembeault breathe. Let the competition reset habits. If nothing else, you might stop bleeding points because “almost” isn’t good enough anymore.

The Canadiens aren’t done building—but they can’t keep letting games slip through their fingers either. This feels like the moment to act. Will they?