Samuel Montembeault gives a curious hint about an announcement from Kent Hughes to watch out for

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Elias Edmonson
September 25, 2023 (10:01 PM)

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The Canadiens' training camp for the 2023-2024 season is underway.

While there's an expectation of stiff competition among young defensemen's for a roster spot, it will be a different story in the crease, as Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault are expected to start the season as the goaltending duo. Unless a certain Cayden Primeau shakes things up, but that's another matter.

While the short-term future is secured for Allen, starting a two-year deal this season, the same can't be said for Montembeault, who is entering the final year of his contract.

It had already been reported that there had been almost no negotiations during the summer between Kent Hughes and the goaltender, but Montembeault himself remained hopeful of a turn of events, potentially sooner rather than later.

In an interview with host Jean-Charles Lajoie of TVA Sports, Montembeault hasn't given up hope of reaching an agreement with the Canadiens before the start of the season. He even gave a solid hint:

"If I can sign a deal, the sooner, the better. I knew there were a lot of issues to resolve this summer. Jake Allen did it during training camp. So it could happen in the next month. We still have a lot of time."

Now that the Casey DeSmith file is settled, Kent Hughes can indeed consider offering a new deal to his goaltender and, if it were up to him, he would like to finish his career in the Habs uniform.

"I would definitely like that. It's nice to be in Montreal and be close to home. Everywhere you go, there are passionate fans. It's fun meeting everyone. People are so happy and they are friendly. If it can make people happy, I'm happy to talk."

This is all well and good, and I'm convinced that the majority of Habs fans would also like number 35 to sign a long-term contract. It remains to be seen whether Montembeault can replicate last season's success and he will have to work very hard again this year to achieve it.

Moreover, he mentioned to the host that he is fully ready for the season, having trained extremely hard during the offseason.

"It was a very important summer for me. I had to prepare to play a lot of games. Consistency is always key. Every time I start, I need to give my team a chance to win. I want to continue to progress and continue to improve."

Very encouraging words from him and we all wish him a season where he could truly establish himself in Montreal.

To watch the interview between Samuel Montembeault and Jean-Charles Lajoie, click on the link above.