Canadiens' three-goalie logjam is back-and Kent Hughes faces a major decision

Sunday in Tampa Bay, the Montreal Canadiens salvaged a point but fell 5-4 in a shootout. The Habs dominated 36-22 in shots and won 62.7% of the faceoffs.

Juraj Slafkovsky finished the night with two goals and one assist, while Ivan Demidov scored his 10th. Noah Dobson added a goal and an assist, and the tying goal came at 19:56 of the third period. Jacob Fowler finished with 18 saves on 22 shots.

In recent hours, the idea of a quick return to a two-goalie tandem has gained traction. On the airwaves of 98.5 Sports, it was even suggested that at the beginning of 2026, the Habs would return to two goaltenders.

The most delicate case is that of Samuel Montembeault, 29 years old, still under contract at $3.15M per season. After 15 games in 2025-2026, he has posted a 3.65 goals-against average and a .857 save percentage. With numbers like those, Montreal does not want to lose him for nothing, and the organization has to manage this properly.

On the other side, Jacob Fowler is 21 years old and Jakub Dobes is 24, and both are exempt from waivers. That opens the door to a demotion to the Laval Rocket, with no immediate risk. Dobes is also under contract for two years at $965,000 per season. In short, the flexibility is there, but the Habs will not be able to keep three goaltenders for long.

For now, the situation remains fluid. Head coach Martin St-Louis announced that Samuel Montembeault will get the start tomorrow against the Florida Panthers, a clear signal that the Canadiens are still weighing their options rather than rushing a decision.

With three goaltenders in the mix and pressure building, the coming days should bring clarity. Until then, all eyes will be on the crease to see what happens next.