Renaud Lavoie reveals Samuel Montembeault's true trade value and the fans can't believe it

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Dan
March 20, 2023 (8:17)

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Despite a poor performance on Thursday night against the Florida Panthers, it's safe to say that goaltender Samuel Montembeault is shaking things up this season in net for the Habs.

He has been very solid in many games this year and we all agree that at $1 million a year, he is one of the best deals in the NHL right now.

During the trade period, which ended about two weeks ago, Kent Hughes had indicated that his goaltender was not available for a trade, but as reported by Fanadiens.com, the situation could well change during the offseason.

While on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie mentioned that interest in Montembeault across the league has increased considerably and that his performances have caught the attention of several general managers.

"Everyone knows who in the NHL Samuel Montembeault is."

Montembeault has very good trade value, Renaud says.

He even went further to say that he wouldn't be surprised if the Habs were able to get at least a first-round pick in return for his services, and maybe even more.

"My guess is there are going to be some big (trade) offers on the table for Samuel.

When I say big offers, for the Montreal Canadiens to get rid of Monty, it's a first-round pick, and if Samuel has another good season, it's maybe a first-round pick and more (those are two options). [...]

- Renaud Lavoie

It has to be said that his low salary makes him attractive to other NHL executives, even though he will become an uncompensated free agent in the summer of 2024 and teammate Jake Allen is still under contract for two more seasons while he signed a contract extension before the start of this season.

Is it worth it? Can the Habs management afford to let number 35 go to another team?

Obviously, it's a bit premature to talk about this situation when the current season is still not over, but it's also important to know that Samuel Montembeault is part of Kent Hughes' and Jeff Gorton's long-term plans for the goaltender position.

It will take some strategizing to know which goaltender is considered the one that management will be able to count on for multiple seasons.

If Montembeault is not the one management chooses, that option could be seriously considered, but for now, he should play his share of games by the end of the season.

Credit: BPM Sports