The Edmonton Oilers have quickly seen their offseason goaltending plan come under fire. The early injury to Frederik Andersen has done little to help the club find the stability in the crease it so desperately seeks.
Even if Andersen returned to the crease, there’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi. And that lack of certitude won’t go away until they play well. If they do, this entire conversation will be moot.
But until that happens, the Oilers could have a decent, low-cost option sitting in Montreal.
That option is Samuel Montembeault.
It’s no secret that the Canadiens netminder lost his grip on the starting job in Montreal. Jakub Dobes has been fantastic since being anointed as the starter. He led the Habs to the Eastern Conference Final last spring. Meanwhile, Jacob Fowler stepped in out of college and became a solid backup goalie for Montreal.
All of that left Montembeault without a job in Montreal. The 29-year-old found himself in the AHL, playing just two games, and posting a 2.53 GAA and a .904 SV%. While they were just two games, the numbers were encouraging to a certain degree. And those numbers could help convince the Oilers that Montembeault may have something left in the tank.
Montembeault Wouldn’t Be an Oilers Hero
Sam Montembeault wouldn’t be coming to Edmonton to become the Oilers’ starting goalie.
If anything, he could begin the season in the AHL with Bakersfield, which would make the move look rather strange at first. But that’s precisely why Montembeault could be useful.
If Frederik Andersen remains injured and Devon Levi doesn’t live up to expectations, Edmonton could suddenly find itself desperately needing an experienced goaltender. Montembeault would give the Oilers another option behind Tristan Jarry without forcing them to throw an unproven goalie into a difficult situation.
And frankly, he would be a heck of a lot more reassuring than some of the other options in the organization.
Think of Montembeault as Edmonton’s expensive break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option.
He doesn’t have to play. He simply has to be there if everything else goes sideways.
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Edmonton Would Have to Make the Money Work
The Canadiens probably wouldn’t demand much for Montembeault.
Considering his impending unrestricted free agency, a couple of late-round picks could potentially be enough to convince Montreal to move him. However, that’s not where the problem lies.
His $3.15 million cap hit is the real issue.
If Edmonton sent Montembeault to Bakersfield, the Oilers would still be responsible for more than $2 million of his contract. That’s a lot of dead cap for a goaltender who isn’t even on the NHL roster.
Montreal retaining some salary could change the calculus considerably.
If the Canadiens are willing to eat part of Montembeault’s contract and Edmonton can acquire him for a modest package, this starts looking like a worthwhile gamble. The Oilers wouldn’t necessarily need Montembeault to become a major piece. They’d simply need him to be available when the goaltending situation inevitably gets complicated.
Given that he’s an impending UFA, the downside is limited.
If Edmonton needs him, he’s there.
If it doesn’t, the Oilers can walk away after the season.
Oilers May Have Life Preserver Sitting in Montreal