Montreal Canadiens Goaltending Options, Montembeault Injury

Almost everything went right as the Montreal Canadiens put together a dominant performance against the Washington Capitals on Friday night.

However, there was some very unfortunate news from a health standpoint.

ON TOPIC: Top 3 Encouraging Facts Overshadowed In Friday’s Big Playoff Win

Both starters were forced to leave the game, with Samuel Montembeault being replaced by Jakub Dobes, whereas former Hab Charlie Lindgren took over from Logan Thompson.

Montembeault quickly grasped his left leg following a lateral transition, and though he didn’t look to be in a high level of pain, it’s always very difficult to judge the severity of injuries without a proper diagnosis. Additionally, goaltenders can’t easily ignore nagging injuries, as the goaltending position demands more flexibility and quick reactions than any of the skaters that take part in the game.

Montembeault had to go to the locker room. Dobes is now the Canadiens’ goaltender, making his playoff debut.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/BDPhHmFGmw

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 26, 2025

Montreal Canadiens Goalie Options

The Habs were given Saturday off, which means we will have to wait a little longer for an injury update.

We hope both goalies recover quickly, and though you never want to see any player succumb to injury, if both goalies are forced to miss any time, the advantage goes to the Habs, as the discrepancy between Montembeault and Dobes is not as drastic as the one between Thompson and Lindgren.

A GREAT play by Slafkovsky, Habs have a 2-goal lead.

Strome absolutely demolished Thompson, hopefully he’s okay. #GoHabsGo

(Thompson had to leave, Lindgren is playing now) pic.twitter.com/lQIo0tqX5i

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 26, 2025

With that in mind, the Habs may have to call up a goaltender from the Laval Rocket, which is much easier said than done when we consider Laval is aiming for a Calder Cup championship, being well positioned to do so as the top team in the AHL.

Jacob Fowler is not an option. He signed an entry-level contract, but it only kicks in on July 1.

This means Cayden Primeau is the only option for a call-up, a good news/bad news situation.

The good news is that Primeau has been excellent since being demoted to the AHL. He was one of the best netminders in the league in that stretch, as evidenced by his sparkling .926 save percentage.

However, a Primeau call-up would also mean the Rocket would lose their starter, far from an ideal situation as they wait to hear when their playoff series will begin. For the record, it’s likely to be around May 1, which does give both teams a little more runway to work with as they complete the goaltender shuffle.

Fortunately, Fowler can take up the mantle in the AHL, though he would be doing so with no safety net, seeing as Connor Hughes is currently injured. Hughes could return to play in the near future, and he does have an NHL contract, giving the Habs an interesting option should Montembeault be forced to miss significant time, but as you can see, there are a lot of moving parts.

Such is life when your organization is stretched to the limit due to playoff appearances in multiple leagues.