Samuel Montembeault claimed off waivers by the Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens have claimed goaltender Samuel Montembeault off waivers.

Montembeault had spent his career to date in the Florida Panthers system, getting games in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. His NHL record stands at 9-8-3, with a save percentage of .892. The 24-year-old is in the last year of a contract that pays him $750,000, and he will be a restricted free agent when it expires.

The Panthers are confident in their goaltending situation with both Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight as the NHL options, but they’ve been dealt a big blow to their depth in recent months, losing Chris Driedger to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft as well.

This move suggests that Carey Price will not be ready for the regular season, and the Canadiens also aren’t confident that one of Cayden Primeau and Michael McNiven can handle the backup role in his absence. Marc Bergevin has opted for a goalie with more experience in the top league to tide the team over until the starter is ready to return to action.