A panel of experts from The Athletic spoke about Samuel Montembeault. And opinions are divided.
The media on Monday classified the 32 starting goalies of the National Hockey League (NHL) by separating them into four groups: “Vezina contender”, “High-level starter”, “Average starter” and “Low-end starter”. Montembeault finds himself in the fourth and final category, considered a weak No. 1 goalie on the circuit.
He is ranked 26th, just behind Mackenzie Blackwood of the Colorado Avalanche, and tied with Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings.
However, experts surveyed were enthusiastic about his performance in front of a defense which has been rather porous over the last three seasons.
“He steals matches,” said a retired goalkeeper consulted by The Athletic. He has good potential.”
Another expert mentioned that Montembeault was “intense” and had fire in his eyes before the games started.
“He could get burned while still being so concentrated,” he nevertheless worries.
A third illustrated why Montembeault is ranked in the bottom group of No. 1 goaltenders in the League.
“I don’t know if he’s a starter,” explained the anonymous commenter, presented as a goalkeeping coach. Usually, if you’re not an established starter by age 27, you won’t become one. For this reason, and because he only played 144 games before he turned 27, I don’t see him [devenir un no 1].»
Montembeault, 28, has a 15-15-3 record, a 2.88 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage this season.
He was in high demand at times when Cayden Primeau was having difficulties and the Habs defense did not always make his task easier, even if it has been doing much better lately.
The Canadiens awarded him a three-year contract last season, with an average annual value of $3.15 million, the end of which could coincide with the arrival of promising Jacob Fowler. Montembeault will be able to achieve complete autonomy in the summer of 2027.
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