Montreal Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault has had a horrendous start to the season, and with no sign of improvement coming from the Habs netminder anytime soon, it is becoming a serious liability to put him in goal. As a result, the Canadiens are now in the market for help in the goaltending department for someone who can play in tandem with Jakub Dobes, who has been taking the load of work during Montembeault’s struggles. Could the Habs look to make a move at goaltender for someone who needs a change of scenery? One team that the Canadiens can look towards may be the Buffalo Sabres netminder, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who is reportedly available.

Will the Sabres listen on Luukkonen calls? https://t.co/l9hv4ZqT1y

— The Fourth Period (@TFP) December 5, 2025

According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, the Habs are reportedly interested in the 26-year-old Luukkonen, who has had a very up-and-down NHL career since becoming a full-time Sabres netminder during the 2022-23 season. He has been part of a 1a/1b tandem with multiple goaltenders during that time.

Luukkonen is clearly looking for a change of scenery, as he will be hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in his NHL career this season. The Habs have the potential to give Luukkonen a chance of making his playoff debut in the near future. Meanwhile, the Sabres could save some money if they were to do a goalie swap with the Habs, sending Samuel Montembeault and his contract that pays him $3.15 million a season until the end of the 2026-27 season.

NHL Rumours: Jarry Deal, Bunting Reunion & Habs/Oilers in on Luukkonen https://t.co/RdRVENIH8T#NHL #THW

— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) December 6, 2025

Of course, with Montembeault’s recent struggles, the Habs may need to add a C-level prospect who isn’t a high-end guy in their system but could also be someone who could play in the NHL, like a William Trudeau or Filip Mesar, to help act as a sweetener.

Elliotte Friedman: Re Canadiens goaltending rumours: People say Cam Talbot; do you think the Red Wings are breaking up a very good goalie tandem…?; to me the one interesting guy…is gonna be Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – 32 Thoughts (11/21)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 21, 2025

It’s also possible that Montembeault could get out of his slump with another organization, which is why this type of deal is good for everyone involved. It’s clear Montembeault has the skill to be an NHL goalie, as proven by the last few years, but this season it just isn’t working out, and restarting somewhere else could be exactly what is needed to get him back on track. He is a career .895 and 3.25 GAA goaltender with a 90-96-30 record through 234 NHL games with both the Florida Panthers and the Canadiens. He has always been someone who could have a few inconsistent games that drop his yearly save percentage. However, this season, his game has been filled with inconsistencies, as he has a career-worst. 861 save percentage and 3.61 GAA with a 5-6-1 record.

Frank Seravalli: The Canadiens have been very active on the trade front over the last 7-10 days; they’ve got a crisis of confidence in net; two they’re just crushed by the injury bug – NHL Now (11/21)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 23, 2025

Despite the Sabres being a team that has struggled a lot during his tenure with the team, Luukkonen has a respectable 75-69-16 record along with a .898 save percentage and 3.03 GAA in 164 NHL games thus far. This season, he has posted a .895 save percentage and a very respectable 2.57 GAA in 9 games serving as the Sabres’ backup behind Alex Lyon. Career-wise, Luukkonen is a little bit better than Montembeault and also younger, which is why the Habs may need to add a sweetener to get this deal done. At the same time, Luukkonen’s contract being $1.6 million more than Montembeault’s could be why a deal for a goalie swap could not cost too much more than a lower-level prospect that has the potential to only play a few NHL games.

At just 29 years old, Montembeault still could have a lot of good years ahead of him, and playing out of the limelight of Montreal as a Quebecois goalie could be what he needs to bounce back. Meanwhile, Luukkonen can form a very solid 1a/1b duo with Jakub Dobes in Montreal to allow top goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler time to truly develop in the AHL without rushing him. As good as Fowler has been this year, he’s likely still 2 years away at the very least from being able to be an everyday NHL player.  By having a reliable goaltending tandem, there are no issues in letting him ripen and dominate in the AHL.

Would you be willing to take a chance on Luukkonen with the Montreal Canadiens?