- In some other loan news, CapFriendly reports the Montreal Canadiens have recalled 2023 fifth-overall pick David Reinbacher from EHC Kloten of the Swiss National League ahead of rookie camp next month. Reinbacher will not suit up for them this season, however – they’re expected to return him to Switzerland when training camp is over, and he’ll lace up the skates in a top-four role for Kloten. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound right-shot Austrian defender could see full-time NHL action as soon as the 2024-25 season.
Canadiens Rumors
Examining An Upcoming Montreal Canadiens Roster Crunch
On paper, the Montreal Canadiens don’t look like the type of team one would typically associate with an excess of NHL-caliber talent. The team is in the midst of a full-scale rebuild, attempting to construct a new core of players around some intriguing young pieces such as captain Nick Suzuki, sniper Cole Caufield, and 2022 first overall pick Juraj Slafkovský, among others.
The priority in Montreal under head coach Martin St. Louis has been player development rather than playoff contention, and that mandate to develop players as a top priority is likely to extend at least another season. But even though Montreal is widely expected to finish well outside the NHL playoff picture, they still have an abundance of capable NHL players to choose from when they construct their opening-night 23-man roster, particularly on defense.
Thanks to the Canadiens’ involvement in the three-team Erik Karlsson blockbuster trade, they dealt away Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick.
Those two departures did wonders to alleviate what was shaping up to be a crowded situation for the team at the forward position, one that may have even led to the Canadiens taking the somewhat drastic step of placing Hoffman on season-opening waivers.
Earlier this month, we covered the possibility that Hoffman, a well-traveled veteran scorer, could end up on season-opening waivers. With Hoffman and Pitlick departed, the possibility of the Canadiens exposing a relatively established NHLer on waivers has shifted focus to their defense and goaltending.
As a result of the Karlsson trade, (and subsequent deal that sent Jeff Petry to the Detroit Red Wings) the Canadiens ended up acquiring Gustav Lindström, a soon-to-be 25-year-old blueliner with 128 NHL games under his belt. The acquisition of Lindström gives the Canadiens a group of nine defensemen under strong consideration for the seven or even eight roster spots set to be available for that position.
Two veterans are locks to retain their prominent roles on the team: Mike Matheson scored at an impressive 58-point pace in his first season in Montreal and is likely to be the team’s number-one defenseman this season. David Savard is an experienced defensive defenseman who will be counted on to handle difficult minutes and penalty-killing time. Similar to those two veterans, Kaiden Guhle, should be considered a roster lock after a strong (albeit injury-shortened) rookie year.
Beyond those names, the Canadiens have Lindström, Arber Xhekaj, Jordan Harris, Johnathan Kovacevic, Justin Barron, and Chris Wideman left, a group of six defenseman competing for the likely four NHL jobs that remain.
Accordingly, the threat of waivers looms large over the Canadiens’ roster-building calculus as they seek to decide who to roster out of that set of names. Only Xhekaj, Harris, and Barron are able to be sent down to the AHL’s Laval Rocket without needing to hit the waiver wire. But as things currently stand, the Canadiens’ elevation of player development to their number-one organizational goal makes Xhekaj and Harris two highly likely candidates to make the opening-night roster, nearing “lock” territory.
Barron isn’t on quite as strong ground, but the 2020 first-rounder showed flashes of strong play as a rookie and could easily force his way into a roster spot with a strong preseason. Set to turn 22 in November, the Canadiens’ preference is undoubtedly for Barron to do exactly that.
Assuming Barron can manage to either put together a strong training camp and preseason, or at the very least do enough to motivate the Canadiens to spend an opening-night roster spot on him rather than start him in Laval, the result would be only one roster spot left for Lindström, Wideman, and Kovacevic.
Wideman’s valued presence in the Canadiens’ locker room kept him on Montreal’s NHL roster for the entirety of 2022-23, but with so many options to choose from the team may not be able to do the same for Wideman this upcoming season.
The likeliest of the three to win the potential last spot available on the team’s blueline is Kovacevic, who the Canadiens claimed off of waivers from the Winnipeg Jets at the start of last season.
Kovacevic acquitted himself well in his rookie season in Montreal and is a big right-shot defenseman on a highly affordable $766k cap hit for the next two seasons. He is therefore highly unlikely to be placed on season-opening waivers, something that would force the Canadiens into making a difficult choice.
Will they want to carry three netminders on their opening-night roster (Sam Montembeault, Jake Allen, Casey DeSmith) or are they okay with waiving one of those names (likely DeSmith) in order to be able to keep an eighth defenseman, saving Lindström or Wideman from waivers?
The current makeup of the Canadiens roster makes it likely that they’ll only be able to keep one of DeSmth, Lindström, or Wideman away from the season-opening waiver wire, barring a trade. That could present an opportunity for another club, as each name could reasonably be under consideration for rival teams to claim.
Lindström is a six-foot-two right-shot defenseman who saw regular penalty-killing time under former Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill in 2021-22. DeSmith, 32, played in 38 games last season, a personal best, and has a strong .912 career save percentage in the NHL. Wideman is probably the least likely candidate to be claimed due to his age (he’ll turn 34 in January) but as mentioned he’s a valued veteran voice in Montreal and did manage to score 27 points in 64 games in 2021-22.
It’s obviously too early to predict what the Canadiens will ultimately do with their roster dilemma, and the preseason and training camp will go a long way in determining their ultimate course of action. Perhaps a netminder on another team suffers an unexpected injury, motivating them to make a trade offer for DeSmith, or maybe the opportunity will arise for the Canadiens to exchange some of their defensive depth for help in other areas.
But as things currently stand, the Canadiens are facing the prospect of placing a few notable players on waivers. That makes their training camp and preseason one to watch for not only Canadiens fans but also fans of rival NHL teams, especially fans whose clubs could potentially need a right-shot blueliner or backup goalie.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Logan Mailloux Cleared To Play For Canadiens
Renaud Lavoie of The NHL Network is reporting that Montreal Canadiens defensive prospect Logan Mailloux has been cleared by the NHL to play for the team next season. Lavoie tweeted, “Logan Mailloux has received a green light to play in the NHL when he earns a job with the Montreal Canadiens, putting an end to the speculation.”
The native of Belle River, Ontario, just wrapped up his final season of OHL eligibility with the London Knights, a season in which he posted 25 goals and 28 assists in 59 games.
The 20-year-old Mailloux was charged in Sweden with defamation and offensive photography after he shared an explicit picture of a woman with his teammates in Sweden without her consent. Mailloux was 17 years old at the time, and amid the controversy, he was selected by the Canadiens in the entry draft that followed after he had asked teams not to draft him. The NHL elected to review the situation before agreeing to allow Mailloux to play in the league.
Mailloux met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman this past summer in what was presumably a meeting to discuss his being cleared by the league as he looked to turn pro for the first time after signing his NHL entry-level contract last year. He would have required clearance to play in the AHL or the NHL if he wanted to play professional hockey in North America.
Mailloux and the Montreal Canadiens have taken steps to try and make amends. Mailloux has participated in multiple educational events led by the community manager for the Montreal Canadiens Foundation, Geneviève Paquette. The Canadiens franchise has also put $1MM into a ‘Respect and Consent Action Plan‘.
With Mailloux now reportedly cleared to play, he will need to play catchup as he has missed significant time due to his suspensions as well as multiple injuries that he has dealt with. He is unlikely to land a job with the Canadiens as they have a good stockpile of skilled, young defensemen who will also be looking to crack the lineup. Given that, he will likely start the season with the Laval Rocket, which would be a good fit for him to better understand what it takes to become a professional before being thrust under the bright lights in Montreal.
Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents
Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.
Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.
This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.
On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.
Anaheim Ducks
*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)
Arizona Coyotes
F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)
Boston Bruins
*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)
Calgary Flames
*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)
Colorado Avalanche
*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)
Columbus Blue Jackets
D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)
Detroit Red Wings
F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)
Edmonton Oilers
F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)
Minnesota Wild
*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)
New Jersey Devils
*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)
New York Islanders
D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)
New York Rangers
*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)
Ottawa Senators
*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)
Philadelphia Flyers
F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)
San Jose Sharks
D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)
Winnipeg Jets
G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)
Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.
Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Canadiens Undecided On Whether To Move Casey DeSmith
- After flipping one asset acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade earlier today, the Montreal Canadiens are still faced with a goalie crunch caused by taking on netminder Casey DeSmith from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Speaking with reporters today, GM Kent Hughes said he’s talked to DeSmith and asked him “to be patient.” Hughes is undecided on whether to keep DeSmith or trade someone else (Jake Allen or Samuel Montembeault) off the roster to make room for the 32-year-old, who started a career-high 33 games for the Penguins last season.
Paul Byron Expected To Retire
August 15: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes spoke to the media today in the wake of dealing defenseman Jeff Petry to Detroit, confirming that he expects Byron to retire and will speak to him in September.
April 14: Montreal Canadiens forward Paul Byron is facing a difficult decision regarding his future in the NHL. Byron missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a lower-body injury after playing just 27 games the year before, and according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, doctors have still not cleared him to return to play.
Byron will be making a decision on his future within the next month, says Lavoie, signaling what could be a tough end for the 34-year-old known for his effort on the ice. Since Montreal claimed him on waivers in 2015, Byron’s suited up in 383 regular-season games for the Habs, becoming a fan favorite thanks to his speed, tenacity, and versatility.
Speaking this morning, Byron expressed his desire to reporters to remain with the team in a different capacity, particularly player development. Byron says Montreal management’s answer on a front office role will influence his decision on whether to continue his career.
Regardless of what Byron’s future holds, it’s clear he’s made a significant impact on the Canadiens organization during his time with the team. He’s been public about his experiences with chronic pain, hoping to raise the importance of players’ quality of life in hockey circles.
If it’s the end of the road for Byron, he wraps up a 12-year, 521-game career that was unexpected given his status as a sixth-round draft pick in 2007. He hit the 20-goal mark twice with Montreal, proving himself as a versatile bottom-six forward at his peak.
Detroit Red Wings Acquire Jeff Petry
The Detroit Red Wings have acquired defenseman Jeff Petry from the Montreal Canadiens just days after Montreal re-acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the three-team Erik Karlsson blockbuster, according to a team release. Montreal receives defenseman Gustav Lindström and a 2025 conditional fourth-round pick in return.
Montreal is retaining an additional 50% of Petry’s salary in the trade, bringing his cap hit with Detroit down to $2.34MM. CapFriendly reports Montreal will receive the later of Detroit’s or the Boston Bruins’ 2025 fourth-round picks, both of which Detroit currently owns.
This is an expected move, although most reporting indicated Canadiens GM Kent Hughes would wait a little longer to hit send on a deal. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported immediately after the Karlsson trade went through that Montreal was going to flip Petry again with salary retained but didn’t think the move would happen until closer to training camps and the start of the regular season. It also marks a return home for Petry, who was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and played college hockey at Michigan State.
Petry, 35, had a decent lone season in Pittsburgh last year but wasn’t quite worth the $6.25MM he was costing them against the cap. He finished the year with five goals, 26 assists, 31 points, and a +2 rating in 61 games, a slight rebound from the 2021-22 campaign in Montreal. He once again logged heavy minutes, averaging 22:21 per game.
However, at his age, the chances of Petry producing the 40-plus point campaigns with solid defensive metrics he was known for in Montreal are slim. $2.34MM is quite a manageable number for his services, though, and he still has the potential to challenge Justin Holl for the second-pair right defenseman slot behind undisputed number-one Moritz Seider. Detroit hopes he can at least keep up NHL-caliber play for the next two seasons until his contract expires in 2025, avoiding too sharp of an age-related decline.
Aside from their top pairing of Seider and Jake Walman, Detroit’s depth defense was quite weak last season when it came to controlling possession. While he isn’t a shutdown defender by any stretch, Petry isn’t a liability either, and he should help improve possession numbers for Detroit’s second or third pairing marginally. Adding Petry into the fold also gives Detroit the option to bench Ben Chiarot, who had a disastrous first campaign with Detroit after signing a four-year, $19MM contract with trade protection in free agency last summer – a deal that’s quickly looking like an albatross.
Some are likely questioning this move, given Detroit’s now added a trio of NHL defensemen this offseason and have blocked a potential lineup spot for 2021 sixth-overall pick Simon Edvinsson. However, the 20-year-old defender likely won’t be ready to start the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in May, and without participating in training camp, starting the season with AHL Grand Rapids again isn’t the worst idea. With Detroit evidently looking to challenge for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division in 2023-24, Petry is a significant upgrade over Chiarot if that’s the lineup swap head coach Derek Lalonde chooses to make.
In Lindström, the Canadiens receive a young depth defenseman still trying to demonstrate he can give an NHL team reliable minutes. Detroit selected the 24-year-old 38th overall in 2017, and he’s gotten into 128 NHL games since then over the course of the past four seasons. Last season, he recorded a goal and eight points in 36 games, along with a -16 rating. The Red Wings signed him to a one-year, one-way deal worth $950K earlier this offseason, and he’s slated to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in the summer of 2024.
As CapFriendly notes, this was a significant step for Montreal to become cap-compliant next season without sticking netminder Carey Price’s $10.5MM cap hit on LTIR.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
August Free Agency Update: Atlantic Division
As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.
Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. First up is the Atlantic Division:
Boston Bruins
*G Jeremy Swayman (one year, $3.475MM cap hit)
*F Trent Frederic (two years, $2.3MM cap hit)
F Morgan Geekie (two years, $2MM cap hit)
D Kevin Shattenkirk (one year, $1.05MM cap hit)
F James van Riemsdyk (one year, $1MM cap hit)
F Milan Lucic (one year, 35+ contract, $1MM cap hit)
F Patrick Brown (two years, $800K cap hit)
*D Ian Mitchell (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Jesper Boqvist (one year, $775K cap hit)
Buffalo Sabres
D Connor Clifton (three years, $3.333MM cap hit)
D Erik Johnson (one year, 35+ contract, $3.25MM cap hit)
F Tyson Jost (one year, $2MM cap hit)
Detroit Red Wings
*F Alex DeBrincat (four years, $7.875MM cap hit)
F J.T. Compher (five years, $5.1MM cap hit)
D Shayne Gostisbehere (one year, $4.125MM cap hit)
D Justin Holl (three years, $3.4MM cap hit)
F Klim Kostin (two years, $2MM cap hit)
F Daniel Sprong (one year, $2MM cap hit)
G James Reimer (one year, 35+ contract, $1.5MM cap hit)
F Christian Fischer (one year, $1.125MM cap hit)
D Gustav Lindström (one year, $950K cap hit)
G Alex Lyon (two years, $900K cap hit)
Florida Panthers
F Evan Rodrigues (four years, $3MM cap hit)
**F Eetu Luostarinen (three years, $3MM cap hit)
D Niko Mikkola (three years, $2.5MM cap hit)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (one year, $2.25MM cap hit)
G Anthony Stolarz (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)
D Mike Reilly (one year, $1MM cap hit)
D Dmitry Kulikov (one year, $1MM cap hit)
F Kevin Stenlund (one year, $1MM cap hit)
*F Grigori Denisenko (two years, $775K cap hit)
Montreal Canadiens
*F Alex Newhook (four years, $2.9MM cap hit)
*F Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (two years, $1.1MM cap hit)
Ottawa Senators
F Vladimir Tarasenko (one year, $5MM cap hit)
G Joonas Korpisalo (five years, $4MM cap hit)
*D Erik Brännström (one year, $2MM cap hit)
D Travis Hamonic (two years, $1.1MM cap hit)
*D Jacob Bernard-Docker (two years, $805K cap hit)
F Zack MacEwen (three years, $775K cap hit)
Tampa Bay Lightning
*F Tanner Jeannot (two years, $2.665MM cap hit)
F Conor Sheary (three years, $2MM cap hit)
F Josh Archibald (two years, $800K cap hit)
F Luke Glendening (two years, $800K cap hit)
G Jonas Johansson (two years, $775K cap hit)
D Calvin de Haan (one year, $775K cap hit)
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Tyler Bertuzzi (one year, $5.5MM cap hit)
D John Klingberg (one year, $4.15MM cap hit)
*G Ilya Samsonov (one year, $3.55MM cap hit)
F Max Domi (one year, $3MM cap hit)
F Ryan Reaves (three years, 35+ contract, $1.35MM cap hit)
G Martin Jones (one year, $875K cap hit)
F Dylan Gambrell (one year, $775K cap hit)
Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly
Latest On Jeff Petry
The Montreal Canadiens re-acquired defenseman Jeff Petry last weekend at 75% of his $6.25MM cap hit as part of the blockbuster Erik Karlsson trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks. However, this homecoming of sorts for Petry is likely to be short-lived, as Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported immediately after the trade was announced that the Canadiens could be looking to move him once again. With the ability to retain an additional 50% of his cap hit, Montreal is positioning itself to facilitate a potential trade during training camp or early in the regular season.
While few teams would have interest in a 35-year-old defender making more than $6MM against the cap, Petry is certain to have plenty of market interest at a reduced price of $2.34MM until 2025, the lowest Montreal can bring him down to through retaining salary. As Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets and SDPN noted on an episode of his podcast earlier this week, it makes sense Montreal would be willing to facilitate a deal. There’s a strong history between the player and team here – Petry played just over 500 games in a Canadiens uniform over parts of eight seasons, tallying 70 goals, 178 assists, 248 points, and averaging 22:42 per game. Montreal honored his trade request last summer, too, shipping him to a team thought to be playoff-caliber at the time.
Obviously, it didn’t quite pan out. Petry himself had an acceptable season for his role, scoring five goals, 26 assists and 31 points in 61 games and posting respectable possession metrics with a 51.5% Corsi for at even strength. Still, he was part of a quickly-aging core in Pittsburgh that sputtered last season, especially when it came to depth scoring. The Penguins missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2006 because of it, and only the second time while Sidney Crosby’s been a member of the team.
That being said, Petry is still a good second-pairing defender and an excellent third-pairing option if his next team shelters his minutes further. The right-shot can routinely produce upwards of 40 points in a full season and, while he’s far from a shutdown defender, isn’t a liability in his own zone.
Per Johnston, the Dallas Stars are likely to emerge as a fit for his services. They’ve had rumored interest in Petry at multiple points over the past couple of seasons, and they’d been reportedly looking to add on defense earlier in the offseason to no avail. Like most other teams looking to contend for the Stanley Cup next season, though, it would require a fair amount of cap gymnastics to get a deal done, even with Petry’s bargain bin price.
The Stars are currently projected at $317.8K over the $83.5MM Upper Limit for next season with a full 23-player roster, according to CapFriendly. Simply exposing veteran depth defenders Gavin Bayreuther and Joel Hanley to waivers and assigning them to the AHL would not clear the room to add Petry – they’d still need to clear about $1MM to be cap-compliant. The only waiver-exempt player on the roster who could feasibly start the season in the minors is defenseman Thomas Harley, although Dallas would love to see him take on a larger NHL role this season. Wyatt Johnston also does not require waivers, but he’ll be sticking with the team in a top-nine role in 2023-24 after scoring 24 goals and 41 points during his rookie campaign last year. With that in mind, the Stars would likely need to ship a roster player back to Montreal in any prospective Petry trade to make a deal work or make a corresponding trade with another team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
No Extension Talks Yet Between Canadiens And Samuel Montembeault
After last season, Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault and GM Kent Hughes both expressed interest in trying to work out a contract extension. However, the netminder recently told Simon-Olivier Lorange of La Presse that there have been no discussions on that front at this time.
The 26-year-old is coming off his best NHL performance so far, getting into a career-best 40 games last season while posting a 3.42 GAA and a .901 SV% (also a career-high). On the surface, those numbers don’t stand out but Montreal used a very young and inexperienced back end last season and his save percentage was ten points better than veteran Jake Allen.
Montembeault’s performance helped to earn him a spot on Canada’s entry at the Worlds back in May. He quickly locked down the number one and made seven starts, putting up an impressive 1.42 GAA with a .939 SV% to help take home a gold medal.
At the moment, there is a bit of a logjam between the pipes in Montreal with Montembeault and Allen being joined by recent trade acquisition Casey DeSmith. Prospect Cayden Primeau is also waiver-eligible for the first time as well and could conceivably also be in the mix. However, it won’t be Montembeault getting moved to make room as Hughes reached out to the netminder’s agent to confirm as much.
Montembeault is entering the final year of his contract which carries an AAV of $1MM. With a total of just 103 NHL appearances under his belt so far, he likely doesn’t have enough of a track record to command top-level backup money but something in the high-$2MM range or low $3MM range could be doable if he puts together a similar showing in 2023-24. But with Montreal’s current priority seeming to be trying to flip DeSmith and Jeff Petry (also acquired last weekend), it might be a little while yet before talks on a new deal for Montembeault begin.