A major announcement from the Canadiens on Samuel Montembeault and it appears that this is the end

Samuel Montembeault enters Canadiens camp under pressure after Martin St. Louis' club revealed a telling split in its goaltending groups.

Could the Edmonton Oilers be his next destination?

Montreal placed Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler together in Group A, while Montembeault landed in Group B alongside Kaapo Kahkonen.

That alignment immediately puts more attention on Montembeault's place in the organization. Fowler finished Montreal's playoff run as the second goalie, and his early camp assignment keeps him beside Dobes.

For Montembeault, the message is hard to ignore. He isn't opening camp in the same group as the two goalies currently positioned closest to NHL work.

The Canadiens still have camp and exhibition games to evaluate every option. But the club also has a numbers decision coming in the crease before opening night.

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General manager Kent Hughes has already indicated Montreal doesn't plan to carry three goaltenders when the regular season begins, raising the stakes for every camp appearance.

Samuel Montembeault faces a major roster decision

That makes Montembeault one of the biggest names to watch as the Canadiens move deeper into camp. A strong showing could still force Montreal to reconsider how the depth chart is organized.

The alternative carries risk. If Montreal ultimately places Montembeault on waivers, every other NHL club would have an opportunity to claim him before he could be assigned elsewhere.

That possibility becomes even more significant after the Canadiens explored trade options during the summer. No deal materialized, leaving the organization with the same crowded crease heading into camp.

Louis Jean reported that the offers received for Montembeault didn't reach the level Montreal wanted. The lack of a trade leaves Hughes with fewer clean solutions if Dobes and Fowler stay ahead.

Montembeault's situation also carries a contract angle. He is entering the final season of his current agreement, which adds another layer to Montreal's decision.

Nothing is settled by one training-camp group. Players can move, roles can change and exhibition performances can quickly reshape the picture.

But Montreal's first camp alignment has put Montembeault directly under the microscope. Dobes and Fowler have the early positioning, and the veteran now has to change the conversation from the crease.

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