Jakub Dobes had one of the best starts possible for a rookie goalie this season. He earned a shutout in his first career game en route to rattling off five straight wins. The young netminder beat the likes of Florida, Washington, Colorado, Dallas, and the Rangers. These are very impressive accomplishments for a rookie goalie on a struggling team. His heroics helped the Canadiens climb back into the playoff conversation and gave them stability in the backup goalie position. However, since his hot start, Dobes has had some lacklustre performances. Still, at only 23 years old, Dobes could be a big part of the team’s goalie solution of the future. Let’s analyze Jakub Dobes with the Montreal Canadiens.
Jakub Dobes Montreal Canadiens and Taking Over for Cayden Primeau
To begin the 2024-25 season, Cayden Primeau was slated as the backup netminder behind Sam Montembeault. However, Primeau got off to a disastrous start. This led to Dobes being called up to replace him in December. Since being sent down, Primeau has been dominant in the AHL. Despite this, it’s not expected that he will receive another shot in the NHL anytime this season.
Dobes has been the better goaltender at the NHL level up to this point in their careers. Dobes (23) is also two years younger than Primeau (25). At this point, Primeau seems to be one of those cases where a player is too good for the AHL but can’t figure it out at the highest level. He’s received every opportunity to succeed but his chances of becoming an NHL goaltender are seemingly passing him by. With Montembeault as the current starter for at least the next two seasons and the younger Dobes outplaying him, if Primeau is to be an NHL goalie it likely won’t be with Montreal.
Dobes and his Up and Down 24-25
As previously mentioned, Dobes got off to a scorching hot start to his NHL career. He has since lost four of his last five games with a 1-2-2 record. He was also pulled in a game against the Lightning after allowing three goals on only eight shots. This isn’t all on Dobes, however, as the team hasn’t always played well in front of him. Similar to the Carey Price era where the Canadiens typically didn’t play well in front of their backup netminders, the Habs have left Dobes out to dry at times.
Regardless, Dobes hasn’t been nearly as good as he was in his first five starts. He has the added benefit of being 6″4 and well over 200 pounds. However, he plays a very unorthodox style and gets beaten cleanly frequently. Still, these struggles are part of the learning curve for a young netminder in his first season in the NHL. With the Canadiens needing victories down the stretch, we likely will only see Dobes in net during back-to-back stints. Montembeault has been the better goalie since the 4 Nations break and they’ll need him to continue to play lights out if they hope to earn a playoff berth.
Dobes’ Future Outlook with the Montreal Canadiens
Dobes could be an integral part of the Canadiens goaltending future. Jacob Fowler hopes to project as the team’s starter long-term. However, he likely won’t be in the NHL for another two seasons at minimum. He will be wrapping up his dominant college career this spring and will need a year or two of seasoning in Laval before making the jump to the NHL. Sam Montembeault is also under contract for another two years so he can bridge the gap until Fowler makes the NHL.
Dobes is a restricted free agent at season’s end but will undoubtedly be extended by Montreal. This means that he should be the backup to Montembeault for the next two seasons. Dobes’ development over the next two years will be a big deciding factor on what to do with Montembeault once his contract expires. If Dobes can prove himself and find consistency, he could be the Montreal Canadiens starting goalie in as little as two years.
Main Photo Credit: Sergei Belski – Imagn Images
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