Jakub Dobes isn’t dodging the conversation around the Canadiens’ crease. If anything, he’s leaning right into it.
The Montreal goaltender made that much clear this week, and he did it with the kind of bluntness that has already made him a talking point. On Saturday at the Kevin Raphaël Classic, Dobes was the name the young fans were chasing, and he’s more than earned that attention.
The bigger picture in Montreal is still unsettled. Dobes is expected to handle most of the Canadiens’ starts this season, but the rest of the depth chart remains murky as training camp approaches. The Montembeault situation is still unresolved, with the goaltender under contract for one more year, and that keeps the possibility of a three-goalie rotation very much alive.
Dobes doesn’t sound bothered by any of it.
"Monty and Jacob are two very good people. It worked last year. Whatever management or the coaches decide, I'll support it."
That’s the kind of answer that keeps things calm in a situation that could easily turn messy. The Canadiens have a decision coming, but Dobes has made it clear he’s fine with whatever direction they choose.
The real question now is which of Jacob Fowler or Samuel Montembeault ends up behind him as the No. 2 goaltender. The club already knows Dobes has nothing left to prove as the No. 1 option, so the spotlight has shifted to the rest of the crease.
For Dobes, none of that changes how he’s approaching the offseason.
"My preparation has been the same.
We're still a little ways away from training camp, but I want to be even better and stronger on the ice."
He skated with Montembeault last week, while Fowler arrived in Montreal this week. From here, the Canadiens are the ones who have to sort out how many goaltenders they want to carry.
In Other News...
Canadiens Are Taking A Real Risk With Samuel Montembeault
Samuel Montembeault is still on the Canadiens roster in mid-August, and for now the front office seems content to let the situation play out. Kent Hughes does not appear interested in moving the goaltender when the return would be light, which leaves Montreal in a familiar holding pattern: waiting to see whether a patient approach can turn a limited market into a better one later on.
For the Canadiens, the gamble is obvious. Keeping Montembeault gives them a chance to see if his value rises over the course of the season, but it also means carrying a goalie whose performance has already raised questions about whether he can take a meaningful step forward. If he does not, Montreal could end up spending another year searching for answers while the trade value Hughes is protecting never really materializes. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Gomez Still Hasn't Let Go Of A Painful Canadiens Era
Scott Gomezs time in Montreal still hangs over him in a way that clearly goes beyond the box score. The former first-round pick arrived with expectations and, after a strong first season, his production tailed off during a stretch that included a long scoring drought and growing frustration from both the fan base and the local media, especially after the trade that sent Ryan McDonagh to the Canadiens.
What stands out now is how completely Gomez has stepped away from anything tied to that chapter. He has reportedly kept his distance from Montreal-related conversations and has avoided interviews connected to the team, a sign that the experience left a deeper mark than many old hockey stories do. For Canadiens fans, it is another reminder of how quickly a promising start can turn into a painful legacy. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Linked To Another Winger Ottawa May Not Want To Lose
The Canadiens offseason shopping list may not be finished yet, and one name worth watching is Drake Batherson. Montreal is reportedly interested in the Ottawa winger if the Senators are unable to lock him up to a new contract, which would put a productive division rival squarely on the radar for a team still looking to add more punch on the wing.
Bathersons situation has the potential to shape more than one front offices plans, because Ottawa would prefer not to let a player of that caliber drift into the market. If the Senators cannot bridge the gap, Montreal could be positioned to jump in, but the real intrigue is what kind of contract talks are going on behind the scenes and whether Ottawa can keep the door from opening at all. [Read more 🡒]