The start of the NHL season has brought more than its fair share of surprises, but few have been as unexpected—or as concerning—as the struggles of Montreal Canadiens’ starting goalie Samuel Montembeault. Once hailed as the backbone of the Habs’ playoff push last spring, Montembeault now finds himself at the center of a brewing storm in Montreal. As the team battles through injuries and mounting pressure, whispers about Montembeault’s performance have grown louder, fueled by troubling new statistics that paint a picture few fans saw coming.

With the spotlight now firmly on the Canadiens’ crease, head coach Martin St-Louis faces a pivotal decision that could shape the entire season. Should he stick with the embattled Montembeault, or is it time for a dramatic change between the pipes? The numbers are alarming, but history reminds us that fortunes in the NHL can shift in an instant. Is this just a rough patch for Montreal’s number one, or are deeper issues at play? As the Habs prepare for tonight’s crucial matchup, the fate of their season—and Montembeault’s reputation—hangs in the balance. What’s really going on behind the scenes? The answer might surprise you.

Oct 18, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad (93) (not pictured) scores a goal against Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (35) during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The number-one goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, Samuel Montembeault, unfortunately isn’t having the start to the season that was hoped for.

It must be said that some injuries haven’t helped, like the one suffered by Kaiden Guhle on defense, but Montembeault has simply not been up to par so far.

On that note, various statistical firms have brought us some bad news about Montembeault… Samuel Montembeault is one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL this season.

Let’s just say that’s far from ideal.

It’s clear that Martin St-Louis will have a big decision to make regarding his lineup for tonight’s game (in goal), and while it’s tempting to immediately name Jakub Dobes as the new number one, let’s not forget everything Samuel did for the Habs last season!

Without him, there wouldn’t have been any playoffs in Montreal last spring!

A very difficult start to the season for Samuel Montembeault

Let’s be patient with Samuel, but it’s clear that the numbers don’t lie.

“Among all goaltenders who have played at least three games this season, Montembeault ranks 33rd (out of 36) in save percentage at .857. But it goes further than that… Because Monty is one of the worst in goals saved above expected, with a rating of -4.4.” – Marc-Olivier Cook

Personally, I consider that “goals saved above expected” is probably THE best statistic for evaluating goaltenders.

In other words, the bad news is that Samuel Montembeault is the 3rd worst goaltender in the entire NHL this season.

The good news is that the only two goalies worse than him are Linus Ullmark (Ottawa) and Dustin Wolf (Calgary), who are considered elite NHL goalies.

That proves things can change quickly, and that this four-game sample absolutely doesn’t tell the whole story.

Story to follow!