Here’s the latest on Samuel Montembeault, based on publicly reported updates up to now.
Status update (late 2025 into 2026): Montembeault was navigating a challenging season with the Montreal Canadiens, including a period where he was sent to Laval for conditioning work to regain form. This move was intended to help him rebuild confidence and performance, with a plan for him to rejoin the NHL roster thereafter. This situation reflected a broader assessment that he was working to rebound after a tough stretch [source summaries from late 2025: Montembeault assignment to Laval for conditioning; injury notes and workload context].
Injury context: He dealt with groin-related injuries during the 2024-25 season, which limited his availability and contributed to a decline in performance. The injury was not surgically required and was expected to sideline him for a couple of weeks, influencing decisions about his role and playing time during that period [summary of injury reports from May 2025].
Performance snapshot: In the 2024-25 NHL season, Montembeault appeared in a substantial number of games for the Canadiens and earned a milestone with 30 wins, posting strong but sometimes inconsistent per-game metrics (e.g., goals-against average and save percentage) compared with his career norms. The team’s performance and goaltending workload in that period were part of the context for teams weighing his role going forward [season performance summaries].
Outlook considerations: The Canadiens faced questions about who would be the primary goalie, with Montembeault competing for a stable, long-term role versus potential changes in the roster or goaltending pipeline. Discussions during that time frames included whether he could reclaim a top spot or if a transition toward other goalies would occur as the team reshaped its roster [analyses from 2025 postseason and 2026 previews].
If you’d like, I can search for the most recent credible updates (with dates and sources) and summarize them, or pull the latest quotes from coach/management on Montembeault’s status. Also, tell me if you prefer a quick bullet update or a brief timeline.
Samuel Montembeault wears one of hockey's highest-pressure jobs lightly. Rather than cracking under the expectations of backstopping the Montreal Canadiens — a franchise with a long line of Quebec goaltending legends — he rarely loses his grin.
www.sportsnet.caIt’s dressing room clear-out day for the Montreal Canadiens today, and as usual, we are finding out plenty of information about what happened in both the regular season and the playoffs.
thehockeynews.comMontreal Canadiens netminder Samuel Montembeault agreed to be sent down to the Laval Rocket for a conditioning stint and didn't argue; he took it like a team player.
thehockeynews.com