It is not because a negotiation ends with a “win-win” agreement that both parties leave with an equivalent gain.
This is somewhat what we conclude, now that the Canadian has granted a three-year contract extension to Samuel Montembeault, at an average price of 3.15 million per season.
The friendly goalkeeper, obviously, has several reasons to smile. Known as a family guy, very close to his parents, this Bécancour native will never play so close to home. He sincerely wants to be part of the rebuilding of the team. He will no longer have to answer questions about his future, as he prepared to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. And there he is, $9.45 million richer. This should, one imagines, give him a certain peace of mind in the face of the incessant rise in the price of a pound of butter.
His performances have been superior to those of Jake Allen for a while now, but the alternation, which now includes Cayden Primeau, has been scrupulously respected. Head coach Martin St-Louis, it is true, seems warmer than before in his remarks about Montembeault.
This is the pat on the back of the goalkeeper that the supporters were waiting for, who quickly became attached to their compatriot.
It was also the club’s management which took the lead in initiating discussions about a new contract. The recognition is real. If we came to an agreement with him, it was certainly not to exchange him immediately. Allen and Primeau can now share the trade rumors together.
The fact remains that, in the circumstances, it is the Habs who seem to have concluded the best deal. By minimizing the risks, above all.
Because despite the goalkeeper’s current successes, it is not easy to make a precise or exhaustive evaluation. Where does he position himself within his brotherhood? It’s not entirely clear yet.
If we stuck to the current season, it would obviously be very easy. With a .948 save percentage and an average of just 1.47 goals allowed per 60 minutes, Montembeault is one of, if not the, best goaltenders in the NHL at five-on-five. He has already saved some seven goals in this context.
However, we will coldly remember that the Quebecer has, at 27 years old, not yet crossed the threshold of 100 starts, and that his career save rate is .897. The sample he offered is therefore relatively limited. It is also colored by the fact that he has been playing, since his arrival in Montreal in October 2021, for one of the worst teams on the circuit.
By granting him a three-year contract, management told him that they saw him as a trustworthy goalkeeper. At a price of 3.15 million, she adds: But not that much. The observation course continues.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the economic reality of the NHL and its clubs, a total of 41 goalies have signed a one-way contract of three years or more. Their average age at signing: 27 years old, so hey. The average annual value of the deals: 4.14 million.
This sort of “bridge” contract serves both camps well. The CH thus has three more years to determine if number 35 will be its man when the team has presumably regained its prestige. If the answer is no, even in the short term, his new salary, far from being pharaonic, remains very acceptable for a luxury assistant, especially with the salary ceiling which is set to rise.
The goalkeeper, too, will find what he is looking for. Three years from now, he can still add layers to his game and knock on the door from thirty to the peak of his career. And if the team still doesn’t win in 2027, he’s not bound by it until death do them part.
Léo Luongo, goalkeeper coach who worked for four years with Samuel Montembeault in the American League, wondered, during an interview with La Presse in 2022, if his ex-protege was not going to “click” on the late, like Jack Campbell.
Today we can spare a thought for the same Campbell and note that Kent Hughes did not make the mistake of the Edmonton Oilers by covering with gold a veteran who has not yet proven himself, beyond all doubt, that he is a starting goalie capable of making his team win sustainably.