Martin St-Louis reveals how long injured Canadiens goalie will be sidelined

The Montreal Canadiens just got some unwelcome news in the crease.

Goalie Samuel Montembeault is expected to be sidelined for the next 10 to 14 days with a lower-body injury, according to head coach Martin St. Louis.

Montembeault went down during practice in Brossard on Wednesday and left the ice early, favouring his right leg.

The 29-year-old hasn't played a game yet this season, so this stings for a guy still waiting on his first start.

The Habs recalled Jacob Fowler from the Laval Rocket that same day, and the 21-year-old got the nod on Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

He made 15 saves on 18 shots in a 5-2 loss at the Bell Centre.

Last season, Fowler went 9-6-2 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 17 NHL games.

Jakub Dobes started the first three games of the year and remains the clear number one option.

Montreal sits at 1-2-1 and hosts the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

The timing is awkward for Montembeault personally.

He is in the final year of a three-year contract that carries a $3.15 million cap hit, and he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.

It has also been reported that the Canadiens were trying to move him on the trade market.

Sitting out for up to two weeks certainly doesn't help his chances of showing teams what he can still do.

For now, the crease belongs to Dobes and Fowler.

Goaltending has already been a talking point early this season, and the Canadiens will be hoping this stays a short-term issue and that Montembeault is back on the ice soon.

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