The oilers interested in montembeault talk now has a direct name attached: Samuel Montembeault. Edmonton’s interest points to a goaltending market that could shift before July 1, when Calvin Pickard and Connor Ingram become unrestricted free agents.
Montembeault And Edmonton
Maxime Truman reported that the Oilers have a strong interest in the Montreal Canadiens goalie, and that Montembeault is not the only candidate on their list. He also wrote that there is clearly a path that could lead to a trade, with more expected in the coming days.
Montembeault has one year left on his Montreal contract, which pays him $3.15 million. In that setup, he would not arrive in Edmonton as a clean starter option; the reported view is that he would come in as a third NHL goalie, which keeps the move tied to depth rather than a full reset in net.
Jarry, Pickard And Ingram
Edmonton’s current contract picture explains why the name is in play. Tristan Jarry is the only goaltender under contract with the Oilers, while Nathaniel Day, Samuel Jonsson and Matt Tomkins did not play in the NHL in 2025-26. Pickard and Ingram are set to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1, leaving a narrow base of established options.
That is why the reported comparison matters. The view from the discussion is that a tandem of Connor Ingram and Tristan Jarry looks like a better bet than a Montembeault and Jarry pairing, especially if Edmonton wants a goalie structure that can survive the free-agent turnover.
Montreal’s Price
The trade only works, in this framing, if Montreal eats half of Montembeault’s salary. Truman also said Montreal wants to get rid of him and that Montembeault carries significant negative value, which puts the price request at the center of any deal.
Montembeault’s recent form explains the hesitation. He had 41 starts in 2023-24, and Hockey Reference.com classified 70 per cent of them as Quality Starts, but that number fell to 53.3 per cent in 2024-25 and then to 34.8 per cent last year at age 29, when he posted a.873 save percentage.
The decline also lined up with his role in Montreal. He was named to the Canadian Olympic team as the third goalie before last season, then failed to get into a playoff game for the Canadiens as Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler moved ahead of him on the roster. If Edmonton pushes this talks further, the ask will be whether a buy-low swing on a goalie with one year left is worth the cap space and the uncertainty that come with it.
“I’ve learned that the Oilers have a strong interest in Samuel Montembeault. They aren’t the only ones, and Montembeault isn’t the only candidate on their list, but there’s clearly a path that could lead to a trade. We’ll know more in the coming days…”
“Everything will depend on the price demanded by Kent Hughes (for a goaltender claimed off waivers, it should be noted) and the other candidates offered to the Oilers.”
“No, we won’t get Connor McDavid in exchange for Samuel Montembeault, even by adding Oliver Kapanen, Bryce Pickford and a second-round pick!”
