The Samuel Montembeault trade rumors suddenly have a fresh reason to heat up, and the Edmonton Oilers may once again be one of the most logical teams for the Montreal Canadiens to call.
Edmonton announced that veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen will miss training camp after suffering an injury during offseason training, immediately creating another question around an Oilers crease the organization hoped it had stabilized for the 2026-27 NHL season.
That’s where Montembeault becomes interesting.
The Oilers were already connected to the Canadiens goalie earlier this summer. Maxime Truman reported in June that Edmonton had strong interest in Montembeault, while also noting other teams had contacted Montreal. More recently, Louis Jean reported that the Canadiens tried to move Montembeault but Kent Hughes wasn’t satisfied with the offers coming back.
Andersen’s injury does not mean Edmonton and Montreal are negotiating a trade right now.
But circumstances have changed.
If Andersen’s recovery becomes anything more than a short-term training-camp absence, Oilers GM Stan Bowman could have a reason to revisit a goalie he reportedly liked only a few months ago.
For Hughes, this may be exactly the type of development needed to improve Montembeault’s trade market.
Could the Edmonton Oilers Revisit a Samuel Montembeault Trade?
The intriguing part of this rumor is that neither side necessarily has to be desperate.
Montreal has Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler behind Montembeault in its goaltending picture, giving the Canadiens options if they eventually decide to move the 29-year-old.
Montembeault is also entering the final season of his contract. His deal carries a $3.15 million cap hit for 2026-27, after which he can become an unrestricted free agent.
That makes him a relatively low-commitment gamble for a contender.
There is obviously risk.
Montembeault struggled significantly last season, finishing the 2025-26 campaign with a 3.43 goals-against average and .872 save percentage over 25 games.
Those numbers aren’t going to create a bidding war.
But that is also why I view Montembeault as a potentially interesting buy-low trade target for Edmonton rather than a goalie the Oilers should pay a premium to acquire.
Why Samuel Montembeault Suddenly Makes More Sense for Edmonton
The salary-cap situation is where this potential trade becomes more complicated.
PuckPedia’s current Edmonton projections differ depending on the roster view being used. Its depth-chart projection shows approximately $1.93 million in projected cap space, while the broader team-summary projection currently shows approximately $4.73 million.
Because NHL cap space can change depending on roster configuration, injuries and who is carried on the active roster, I would use the lower number when evaluating whether Edmonton could make this trade today.
Using that conservative projection, Montembeault does not fit cleanly without another move.
This is important because it changes the trade discussion.
The Oilers don’t necessarily need Montreal to retain half of Montembeault’s salary, but Edmonton may need to move a roster player, alter its opening-night configuration or create additional space depending on where its cap situation stands when a deal is considered.
That is manageable.
And if Andersen’s injury lingers, the incentive to make those adjustments becomes much stronger.
Samuel Montembeault’s Trade Value Is the Bigger Question
This is where I believe Kent Hughes has a difficult decision.
Montreal reportedly tried to trade Montembeault and didn’t receive an offer it liked.
That doesn’t surprise me.
Teams looking at Montembeault aren’t paying for the goalie who once looked capable of establishing himself as Montreal’s long-term starter. They are evaluating the goalie coming off an .872 save percentage who is one season away from unrestricted free agency.
That’s a very different valuation.
At the same time, Hughes shouldn’t feel pressured to dump him for almost nothing.
Goaltending markets can change incredibly quickly.
One injury can turn a team with three goalies into a team searching for another one. Andersen’s offseason setback is a perfect example of how quickly that equation can shift.
My current NHLTradeRumor.com Trade Value Index gives Montembeault a 65/100 overall score.
The 65/100 score is my own editorial model, not an NHL statistic.
I put significant value on Montembeault’s manageable contract, NHL experience and rebound potential, but his difficult 2025-26 season and Montreal’s apparent desire to create room for its younger goalies hurt the Canadiens’ negotiating leverage.
If Edmonton called today, I would not expect Bowman to offer a premium draft pick or one of the organization’s better prospects.
A mid-round draft pick, secondary prospect or comparable depth asset feels much closer to fair market value.
That could change if Andersen’s injury stretches into October.
Frederik Andersen’s Injury Changes the Timing
The Oilers announced on August 26 that Andersen will not participate when training camp opens in September. Edmonton said Andersen is rehabilitating an injury suffered during offseason training and did not provide a specific return date.
That’s the key development driving this rumor.
There is currently no confirmed report that the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens have restarted negotiations involving Samuel Montembeault.
That distinction matters. What we do have is a trail of reporting that makes renewed interest plausible. Edmonton reportedly showed significant interest in Montembeault earlier this summer.
Montreal reportedly attempted to trade him. Kent Hughes reportedly did not like what other teams were offering. Montembeault remains a Canadien. And now one of Edmonton’s veteran goaltenders will miss training camp.
Those are enough pieces to make this a legitimate situation worth watching without pretending a trade is imminent.
There is also an interesting wrinkle when looking back at earlier reports.
Pierre LeBrun suggested after Montreal’s playoff elimination that Montembeault’s time with the Canadiens appeared to be coming to an end. Yet here we are approaching September and he remains on the roster.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the earlier expectation was wrong.
Louis Jean’s recent reporting actually suggests Hughes did attempt to find a trade. He simply wasn’t willing to accept the available price.
That’s an important difference.
My Take: Kent Hughes Should Call Stan Bowman
If I’m Kent Hughes, I’m making the call.
That doesn’t mean dropping the asking price dramatically. It means finding out whether Andersen’s injury has changed Edmonton’s willingness to make a move.
The Edmonton Oilers are trying to win the Stanley Cup now. They cannot afford another season in which inconsistent goaltending becomes one of the primary reasons a Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl-led roster falls short.
Montembeault isn’t a guaranteed solution.
After last season, nobody should portray him that way.
But Edmonton doesn’t need to acquire him as its unquestioned No. 1 goalie. At the right acquisition cost, Montembeault could provide another experienced option, create competition and potentially rebound behind a Stanley Cup-calibre roster.
For Montreal, moving Montembeault would simplify the goaltending picture and create additional opportunity for Dobes and Fowler.
That’s why this rumor makes more sense today than it did 48 hours ago. Andersen’s injury hasn’t created a Samuel Montembeault trade. It may have created the opportunity for one.
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