Samuel Montembeault Sent To The AHL

The news of Montembeault’s demotion comes just two hours before rookie netminder Jacob Fowler makes his Bell Centre debut against the Philadelphia Flyers. Fowler is starting for the 3rd time in the Habs’ last 4 games. Fowler is clearly getting a long look at how ready he is for the NHL. Then you look at how Dobes can be a very solid goaltender when he gets a good amount of rest in between starts. This leaves Montembeault behind as the only one who can’t find his game in Montreal right now.

Sure, Fowler has only played 2 NHL games ahead of tonight’s game against the Flyers, which came with challenges in his matchup on Saturday. However, he was still playing with confidence in his own game, which is more than can be said for Montembeault. With how low Montembeault’s confidence has become at this point, he is completely unplayable at the moment.

Montembeault has been one of the worst goalies in the NHL this season among netminders who have played 10 games or more, with an .857 save percentage and 3.65 GAA in 15 games. The only goalie who has a worse save percentage this year among goalies that fit the criteria is Edmonton Oilers backup Calvin Pickard, whom the Habs played against on Sunday. With that being said, the Canadiens couldn’t continue to allow Montembeault to play if they want success. Unlike the Oilers, the Habs don’t have a Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl to outscore their goalie issues.

Regarding Montembeault’s struggles, Eric Engels mentioned on Monday night’s episode of the Sick Podcast that the goaltender’s problem is not really a technique issue but more so that he has lost confidence in himself, which has led to him trying to find his game by doing things that he otherwise wouldn’t normally do to be successful. This is why a conditioning stint could be exactly what Montembeault needs to find himself again. The AHL is still very competitive, but the shots he will be facing are not nearly as hard as at the NHL level. Therefore, a stint in the AHL may be exactly what he needs to find his game again.

A conditioning stint can often be used for a player who is rehabbing an injury, but it can also be used for a player who has played very few games over a couple of weeks to get back into form . This is where Montembeault fits in, as he’s only come into relief once for an overworked Jakub Dobes since his last start on December 2nd. Now, this is a loophole that allows teams to send a player/goalie to the AHL for up to 2 weeks without needing waivers.

However, once those 14 days are over, Montembeault will need to come back up to the NHL as per his contract. The Habs could choose to put him on waivers at that point, but if that’s the case, it could mean his confidence is shot beyond repair, and that could be it for him in a Habs uniform. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for Montembeault, but it is a good chance for him to regain his confidence.

Do you like the Habs’ decision to send Montembeault down on a conditioning stint?