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Samuel Montembeault: The 'elite contract' is coming, says Renaud Lavoie

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated May 2, 2025 9:00 PM ET

I’ll start this piece by saying this.

I’ve wept over Samuel Montembeault in recent years, because there have been times when I’d have liked to see him more solid in front of his net.

But Monty doesn’t deserve to be criticized. On the contrary, in fact.

Monty still managed to get the CH to the playoffs.

You’ll tell me that he had a few bad performances here and there in the latter part of the season, and I agree.

But Monty finished tied for 6th among NHL goaltenders in wins this season.

And without him… never, ever would the Habs have been able to cause an upset by making the NHL playoffs.

The only goaltenders to sign more Ws than Monty this season? Connor Hellebuyk, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jake Oettinger, Sergey Bobrovsky and Adin Hill.

Not a bad group:

(Credit: NHL.com)

Monty’s current salary is $3.15 million per season.

But he’s under contract until the end of the 2027 season.

Still: Montembeault has proven himself enough to ask for a nice salary increase.

And according to Renaud Lavoie on BPM Sports… Monty is going to break the bank.

The TVA Sports journalist speaks of an “elite contract”:

I’ll guarantee you one thing. The elite contract is coming.

It won’t be $4 million or $5 million. It’s going to be, pay me, because the ceiling (on top) is going up. – Renaud Lavoie

Renaud Lavoie is right: Samuel Montembeault has proven that he’s one of the NHL’s good goalies.

He’s not perfect, of course.

But then again, he’s part of the reason the Habs were able to clinch their playoff berth – when no one expected them to.

And he deserves all the credit he can get.

On the other hand… if the CH decides to offer Montembeault a big contract between now and the summer of 2027, you have to wonder what that means for Jacob Fowler.

Because we know that Fowler has the potential to become the CH’s #1 goaltender. At the same time, Monty has already proven himself…

To be continued.

In gusts

–

That reinhart- Crosby – demidov line is going to feed families next year ..

– Hockeyy Insiderr (@HockeyyInsiderr) May 2, 2025

– Please note:

PWHL playoffs will begin May 7 https://t.co/vVDeJN4KTq pic.twitter.com/WImwdcVWaK

– theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) May 2, 2025

– He’s going to be good, that’s for sure.

Jackson LaCombe this season:

– 14 goals (11th among defensemen)
– 43 points
– 0 plus/minus (on the Ducks)
– 167:37 short-handed time-on-ice with a 7.84 xGA/60 (best on Ducks)

Is he a top-5 defenseman in the Pacific? pic.twitter.com/S5GlSW89mQ

– Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) May 2, 2025

– Wow.

INCREDIBLE! At just 18 years of age, Kimi Antonelli takes the lead position in the Miami Grand Prix sprint race! pic.twitter.com/LYHiusyzzB

– RDS (@RDSca) May 2, 2025