For months, Samuel Montembeault has been telling anyone who will listen that he likes playing in Montreal and that he wants to continue his career with the Canadian. Obviously, these were not empty words.
The organization announced this Friday morning that it had concluded a three-year contract extension with the Bécancour native, which will earn him an average of 3.15 million per season. The 27-year-old goalkeeper thus avoids testing the free agent market next summer.
This new pact confirms the confidence that Quebecers have gained from the current CH administration. Since Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes took office two years ago, the goalkeeper seems to be under observation. Last season, despite better statistics than Jake Allen and despite the multiple injuries suffered by the veteran, Montembeault was limited to 39 starts. And since the start of this campaign, he has been at the heart of a three-goalie rotation which has only seen him start two games in a row once… in mid-October.
Yet here he is with a winning record (5-3-1), within a club that plays below the .500 mark. At five against five, he is downright dominant this season. This is evidenced by his efficiency rate of .947, a league high among goalkeepers who have played at least 350 minutes.
A third-round pick by the Florida Panthers (77th overall) in 2015, Montembeault was claimed off waivers by the Canadiens in October 2021.
