The crease was the center of the action in Brossard today, with Jakub Dobes back to work and a new name joining the session.
Dobes spent the day in one-on-one drills with Canadiens goaltending coach Marco Marciano, continuing the kind of individual work that gives him a chance to tighten up his game before training camp. The focus was on the details - positioning, movement and reads - as Dobes keeps getting direct instruction from Montreal’s goalie coach.
Marciano’s presence remains a notable part of these summer sessions. Technically, he is still without a contract for the upcoming season, but he has stayed with the Canadiens’ goaltenders throughout the offseason and continued working with them in Brossard.
The new face on the ice was Kevin Mandolese.
The 25-year-old recently signed a one-year contract with the Laval Rocket and made his first appearance at the Canadiens’ practice facility since that deal was announced. He looked comfortable going through drills alongside Dobes and Marciano, giving Montreal another early glimpse at its goaltending depth.
Mandolese and Dobes both enter the season with something to prove. Dobes is looking to build his case for a bigger role with the Montreal Canadiens, while Mandolese will be battling for minutes with the Laval Rocket.
That competition could get even more interesting if Jacob Fowler remains in the NHL.
Mandolese, a Blainville native, posted a .933 save percentage in the American Hockey League last season, though that came in a limited number of appearances.
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Canadiens May Finally Be Closing In On Their Biggest Lineup Need
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The search has not been limited to one obvious path, and the Canadiens are still sorting through a range of possibilities rather than locking onto a single name. Even with outside buzz around other players, the bigger picture remains the same for Montreal, which is still chasing the kind of center help that could change the shape of the lineup if Hughes finds the right deal. [Read more 🡒]
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Montreal has responded by adding depth and competition throughout the system, bringing in Brett Berard, Hunter McKown, Sasha Pastujov, Jared Davidson and goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to help fortify Laval. There is also another layer to watch once NHL camp opens, since players such as Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom could flow into the Rocket mix depending on how the big club sorts out its own picture. For Laval, the challenge is no longer just repeating as a division power. It is proving the group can handle the heavier lift that comes with a true postseason push. [Read more 🡒]
Jesperi Kotkaniemi Is Back In The Spotlight For A Familiar Reason
Jesperi Kotkaniemi has a way of drifting back into the conversation around Montreal, even from a few time zones away. The former Canadiens forward, now with the Carolina Hurricanes, recently brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown arena in Pori, Finland, a reminder that his career has taken a long and winding route since he left Quebec.
The latest buzz around him is less celebratory, though, and it comes with the kind of familiar uncertainty that has followed him for stretches of his tenure in Carolina. Kotkaniemi is still under contract for four more years with a $4.82 million cap hit, and the Hurricanes have already shown a willingness to keep his name in the mix when trade chatter heats up. For now, he remains in Carolina, but his place in the picture has a habit of coming up whenever the roster starts to shift. [Read more 🡒]