Habs Daily: Montembeault Extension, Trade Situation, Mesar

All the latest Montreal Canadiens information, highlights, and stories.

Habs News

• Montreal Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault signed a three-year contract extension with a $3.15 million annual average value. All things considered, it’s great value for a goaltender who finds himself among the top 10 in the league for goals saved above expected. It also gives the Canadiens some flexibility going forward due to the reasonable term.  [Canadiens Samuel Montembeault Extension Provides Value]
• Now that Kent Hughes has resolved the contract issue with Montembeault, it’s time for him to figure out which goaltender needs to go. Having three goaltenders on an NHL roster is not a tenable situation, and Martin St-Louis is clearly frustrated with the logjam. Whether by a trade of via waivers, the Canadiens need to slay the three-headed monster once and for all. [Canadiens GM Kent Hughes Must Resolve Goaltending Situation]
• Prospect Filip Mesar continues to enjoy a very successful season in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers. Not only is he currently leading the league in points per game, but he was also named the OHL Player of the Month for November. [Prospect Report: Filip Mesar’s Dominance In The OHL]
• The Canadiens decided to give centre Mitchell Stephens a call-up from the Laval Rocket. It’s great news because it means they’re not rushing Joshua Roy’s development, but it also points to a potential long-term injury for Alex Newhook. [Canadiens Call-Up A Good News, Bad News Situation]
• The Montreal Canadiens continue to flirt with a .500 record, thanks to the notable improvement of youngsters; something that should give fans some hope for the future.. [Canadiens Youngsters Starting To Find Their Groove]

National Hockey Now Network

• Connor Bedard is already starting to collect accolades. The 18-year-old was named the Rookie of the Month in the NHL. [Chicago Blackhawks]
• The Philadelphia Flyers need more goals. They did hang three on the New Jersey Devils in the 4-3 overtime loss, but two of the three came within the last five minutes. Indeed, the timing of the goals means something for the Flyers, but it’s fair to wonder if they could have done more earlier. [Philadelphia Flyers]
• The first domino dropped Thursday evening. The Calgary Flames traded Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks for a fifth-round pick in 2024 and a third-round pick in 2026. [Calgary Flames]