The three-way battle for the net shouldn’t last long, says Habs GM

Kent Hughes said in his mid-season review that he doesn’t expect the three-way battle for the Montreal Canadiens’ net to last long.

Kent Hughes doesn’t expect the three-way battle for the Montreal Canadiens’ net to last long.

Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes’s troubles this fall led the Habs’ general manager to turn to young Jacob Fowler in December to stabilize his club.

The three have been reunited since the team resumed play after Christmas. A rotation seems to be in place, although the team has said that head coach Martin St-Louis has not made his choice for Wednesday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

“We know it’s not ideal to have three goalies in our lineup,” Hughes acknowledged on Tuesday during a mid-season media availability at the CN Sports Complex. “But I wouldn’t expect a change in the next 24 hours. We’re playing five games in seven days. We’re not worried. Our goalies are going to see action.

“But ideally, we won’t keep all three goalies long term,” he added.

Montembeault has had the most trouble this fall. He admitted that he may have put a little too much pressure on himself as he dreamed of participating in the Olympics.

To help him get back on track, the Quebec native said he consulted performance psychology specialist Jean-François Ménard, although Ménard is no longer officially employed by the Canadiens.

“I think it gave me a lot of good tips and we’re going to continue that relationship for the rest of the season,” Montembeault said.

The 29-year-old goaltender also spent two games in the American Hockey League to regain his footing.

Since returning to the Canadiens, Montembeault has played with confidence, helping the club win twice in overtime.

Hughes, however, refrained from confirming that he is still the Habs’ number one goaltender.

“I don’t like to label things. The goalie who plays the best will play the most,” he said. “Sam played two very good games, and we never thought he had forgotten how to play. He went through a rough patch and we’re happy to see that he’s found his footing again.”

Despite their difficulties in net, the Canadiens have shown significant improvement in the first half of the season compared to last year. After 42 games, the club has a 23-13-6 record for 52 points, eight more than last year.

Hughes said he was particularly pleased with his club’s progress in neutral zone play. He also praised his team’s resilience and the players’ confidence in their abilities.

In office since January 2022, Hughes even said that he felt the club’s rebuilding process was going faster than he had expected when it began.

However, he remains aware that it is becoming increasingly difficult to strike a balance between short- and long-term decisions.

In that regard, he acknowledged that the acquisition of Phillip Danault just before the Christmas break was the “most important short-term move” since his appointment.

“He filled several short-term needs for us,” Hughes said. “We decided that in terms of that balance, it was worth the choice we made to the Los Angeles Kings to get him.”

When asked what his group needs to continue to improve to achieve the goal of becoming a contender for top honours year after year, Hughes pointed to experience, referring to maturity.

“It’s about decision-making, not systems. We need to have the maturity to make decisions based on where we are in the game,” he explained.

Furthermore, since the standings remain very close, particularly in the Eastern Conference, Hughes said he expects the end of the trade period to be fairly quiet.

Playing it safe with Guhle and Dach

The Canadiens want to play it safe with defenceman Kaiden Guhle and forward Kirby Dach, who are still recovering from injuries.

Guhle has not played since Oct. 16 due to a partial tear in his adductor muscle. Dach’s last game was on Nov. 15, as he recovers from a fracture in his right foot.

Both players have been spotted a few times in recent weeks, skating before or after the regular group.

Guhle even rejoined the main group on Tuesday morning at the CN Sports Complex.

Hughes reiterated the importance of being patient with the two players, who have been sidelined more often than not in recent seasons.

“If we were in the playoffs, we might bring them back sooner,” Hughes admitted. “But it’s better to be cautious, and we have enough depth right now that we don’t have to rush their return.”

Guhle was initially expected to be out for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. Then, on Nov. 14, the Canadiens announced that he had undergone surgery to repair a muscle tear. The rehabilitation period was expected to last eight to 10 weeks.

The 23-year-old Alberta defenceman, therefore, appears to be slightly ahead of schedule.

In Dach’s case, the team announced on Nov. 16 that he would be out for four to six weeks. He is therefore behind schedule.

“The injury affected the same leg where he suffered a knee injury last year, so we’re going to be very cautious with him. We want to make sure that when he comes back, it’s for the rest of the season,” Hughes said.

Forwards Patrik Laine, Jake Evans and Josh Anderson are also currently sidelined. And during the fall, the Canadiens brought back Quebec forwards Samuel Blais and Phillip Danault.

Hughes is aware that there won’t be enough room in his lineup for all these players if they are all healthy at the same time. However, he says that if this situation arises, it will be a nice problem to have.

These reports from The Canadian Press were first published in French on Jan. 6, 2026.