Jakub Dobes’ early-season stumble has become part of a bigger question in Montreal: how much of this is about performance, and how much is about the weight of what’s happening around him?
Elliotte Friedman floated the idea that Dobes might be dealing with the pressure of having to battle Jacob Fowler so quickly with the Canadiens, and the theory fits the way this situation has unfolded. Training camp already pointed to Samuel Montembeault reclaiming his spot, which would have left Dobes as Montreal’s No. 1 goaltender. Then Montembeault got hurt, Fowler was brought in, and the whole picture shifted.
Since that change, the Canadiens have looked more assured with Fowler in net. Dobes, by contrast, has gone through a rough stretch, putting up a .847 save percentage in five starts.
Fowler has a .900 mark. For a young goalie trying to hold onto a job, that’s a sharp contrast.
There’s also a sense that Dobes may have believed the crease was his after last season’s playoffs. Instead, the situation changed fast, and fast enough that it may have rattled him.
Cole Caufield’s public criticism of Arber Xhekaj and Dobes after the loss to San Jose only added to the noise around the team.
Montreal will need Dobes to get himself right, too, because the season is long and the Canadiens are going to need him during the 2026-27 campaign.
Former NHL goaltender José Théodore also weighed in on 98.5 Sports, saying Kent Hughes views Fowler as the next Carey Price. In Théodore’s telling, Dobes is more in the Jaroslav Halak lane - a solid goalie, but not the one the organization has chosen to build around. Hughes, after all, drafted Fowler, not Dobes.
Dobes is 25 and still has the kind of upside that showed up during last year’s playoffs. He signed a three-year contract worth $16.07 million this summer, and he still has a path back to stronger playing time if he starts delivering again. But right now, the Canadiens need him to rediscover his game.
Montreal sits at 4-3-2 and is giving up 3.8 goals per game.
In Other News...
Canadiens Prospect Alexander Zharovsky Just Gave Fans Another Reason To Wait
Alexander Zharovsky continues to give Canadiens fans a reason to keep an eye on the KHL box scores. The 19-year-old forward, who is still developing in Russia with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, was part of a recent comeback win over Metallurg Magnitogorsk and has remained one of the more intriguing young talents in Montreals pipeline after a record-setting rookie season.
The start to this season has been a little uneven, but that is part of the patient plan the Canadiens have in place for him. Rather than rush him toward North America, Montreal is letting Zharovsky handle the ups and downs of a full KHL campaign, hoping the long view pays off when he is ready to make the next jump. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Still Loom In A Trade Situation That May Not Be Closed
Trade chatter around the league still has a way of circling back to Montreal, even when the Canadiens are not directly named in the latest twist. Connor Hellebuyck remains a major talking point as the Winnipeg Jets keep working on a deal, and there is even some talk that his physicals could be pushed back while attention shifts to the Heritage Classic weekend. Around the same time, Dylan Larkins name has been resurfacing in broader speculation, with his list of destinations expanding and his market still worth monitoring.
For the Canadiens, the key part is what is not yet there. Montreal is not on Larkins current 10-team list, which does not shut the door on future interest but does keep the club on the outside for now. Elsewhere, Pittsburghs situation bears watching too, since a tougher stretch could trigger a larger sell-off as management operates under a tight budget, leaving this as one of those leaguewide trade stories that could still change shape before it finally settles. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Brutal Test Without Their Captain
Nick Suzukis absence is the kind of development that changes the feel of a roster immediately. The Canadiens captain is dealing with an upper-body injury that will keep him out for 2-4 weeks, and with that comes the end of his remarkable run of 546 consecutive games. It is the sort of stretch that underscores how central Suzuki has become to Montreal, not just as its top center but as the steadying presence the team has leaned on through so much of its recent progress.
For the Canadiens, the next few weeks now become a test of depth and adaptability. Montreal has already moved to bring up Owen Beck from AHL Laval, a sign that the club is preparing to reshuffle responsibilities quickly while Suzuki recovers. However the lines are arranged, the larger challenge is obvious: replacing a captain who touches so many parts of the game is never as simple as plugging in one player and moving on. [Read more 🡒]