Martin St-Louis makes his intentions clear with Samuel Montembeault

The goaltender is coming off a conditioning stint with the Laval Rocket, and the coach's message is clear.

The plan is to get him back into a game quickly, then rebuild things one start at a time, with a Montreal Canadiens team playing in front of him according to its standards.

Montembeault, 29, has not had an easy first half of the season. In 2025-2026, he has played 15 games, with five wins, a 3.65 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage.

This is not the Monty we saw last year, when he guarded the crease 62 times and carried a heavy workload. What gets people talking is that St-Louis is not describing a simple recall "to fill in."

He is talking about intent. He wants to see where Montembeault is at, see how things have progressed, and give him a real opportunity. In the locker room, it sounds like a guy being given a mission back, not a guy being put on a shelf.

His contract also adds pressure to the management decision. Montembeault carries a $3.15M cap hit per year through the end of 2026-2027. When you invest that kind of money in a goaltender, you're looking for answers on the ice, not just in practice.

The puzzle is that the Habs also have Jacob Fowler and Jakub Dobes in the picture right now. If Montreal keeps three goalies, it protects the team on the road, but it can complicate the rhythm.

One goaltender always ends up spending too much time watching, and nobody wants that over a long stretch. The next decision will be easy to read.

Montembeault's next start will say whether the plan is just a test, or the beginning of a true comeback.