The Samuel Montembeault trade rumors finally have something they have been missing for most of the summer: a newly created NHL need that actually makes sense.
The Columbus Blue Jackets announced on August 20 that Elvis Merzlikins underwent successful shoulder surgery and is out indefinitely, with no timetable established for his return. Suddenly, Columbus has Jet Greaves positioned as its established starter and veteran Pheonix Copley behind him, and that is exactly why Montembeault’s name deserves another look.
Montembeault remains with the Montreal Canadiens despite months of speculation that Kent Hughes could move him. His value isn’t what it was after his strong 2024-25 season, but that may actually make Columbus a logical destination. He’s 29, has only one year remaining at $3.15 million, and the Blue Jackets have more than enough salary-cap flexibility to absorb him without asking Montreal to retain money.
That doesn’t mean a trade is being negotiated.
But for the first time in weeks, there’s a new reason for the phone to ring.
Why the Columbus Blue Jackets Suddenly Make Sense for Samuel Montembeault
The important part of the Merzlikins news isn’t simply that Columbus lost a goalie.
It’s the uncertainty.
The Blue Jackets said Merzlikins will be reevaluated in a few weeks, but the team hasn’t provided a return date. Training camp opens September 16. That gives president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell a decision: trust the existing depth or find additional insurance before the season begins.
Jet Greaves isn’t the problem.
Columbus showed exactly how highly it thinks of Greaves when it signed him to a three-year, $15 million contract in July. He went 26-19-9 with a 2.60 goals-against average and .908 save percentage across 55 appearances last season.
The concern is what happens behind him if Merzlikins isn’t available.
That’s where Montembeault becomes intriguing.
One August 20 report specifically connected Columbus’ sudden need with the Canadiens goalie, noting that Copley had originally been brought in as organizational/AHL depth rather than as the expected NHL backup.
I don’t see Montembeault as somebody Columbus should acquire to replace Greaves.
I see him as a one-year insurance policy with rebound upside.
Samuel Montembeault Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 231 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Playoffs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Samuel Montembeault’s Contract Makes a Columbus Trade Surprisingly Easy
The financial component might be the most compelling part of this rumor.
Montembeault is entering the final season of his contract at a $3.15 million cap hit before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency. Montreal currently carries three NHL goalies: Montembeault at $3.15 million, Jakub Dobes at $965,000 and Jacob Fowler at approximately $946,000.
Columbus, meanwhile, currently projects approximately $12.65 million in available cap space.
Using those figures, here’s my cap calculation:
That’s what makes this potential fit much more realistic than destinations that would require complicated retention or contract matching.
The Numbers Explain Why Montreal Might Still Sell Low
Montembeault’s 2025-26 season was difficult.
He finished 10-8-4 with a 3.43 GAA and roughly an .872 save percentage in 25 appearances. One year earlier, however, he played 62 games, won 31 times and recorded a 2.82 GAA and .902 save percentage while helping Montreal return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
That year-over-year collapse is the entire trade-value debate.
That’s a bet I’d at least consider if I’m Don Waddell.
Montembeault has shown over multiple seasons that he can give an NHL team competent goaltending. His save percentages in the three seasons before 2025-26 were approximately .901, .903 and .902.
One ugly season shouldn’t erase that history.
It should, however, reduce the acquisition price.
Samuel Montembeault Trade Value Model
My current editorial trade-value score is 61/100 — Moderate Value.
That score is my proprietary editorial assessment, not a valuation supplied by the Canadiens, Blue Jackets, an NHL scout or Montembeault’s agent.
In practical terms, I wouldn’t expect Montreal to command a premium asset based on Montembeault’s 2025-26 performance alone. A mid-round selection, conditional asset or hockey trade makes more sense to me than imagining he becomes the centerpiece of a blockbuster.
And I would strongly resist forcing him into any Kirill Marchenko speculation. Montreal has been linked with interest in Marchenko this offseason, but there’s no credible evidence that Montembeault is suddenly going to unlock that type of deal.
Did the Earlier Samuel Montembeault Trade Rumors Prove Accurate?
Not yet, and that’s worth stating clearly.
In June, reporting suggested the most serious Montembeault trade discussions could occur before July 1, with Edmonton among the clubs connected to him. July 1 came and went without a deal.
So the earlier expectation that Montreal would quickly resolve the situation did not materialize.
Instead, the Canadiens reached late August with Montembeault, Dobes and Fowler all still in the organization. PuckPedia currently lists all three on Montreal’s goalie depth chart, with a combined 2026-27 cap charge of approximately $5.06 million.
That’s precisely why the Merzlikins injury matters.
A market that looked increasingly quiet just produced a team with a legitimate reason to investigate another NHL goalie.
My read is that Columbus should call.
Whether Waddell should actually pay Montreal’s asking price is another question.
For the Canadiens, this may be one of the better opportunities Kent Hughes gets before camp to clear the crease for Dobes and Fowler without retaining salary or selling Montembeault purely as a cap dump.
For Columbus, it’s an opportunity to buy low on a goalie who was Montreal’s starter only one season ago.
That doesn’t make a Samuel Montembeault trade inevitable.
It makes it worth watching again.
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