Jakub Dobes is back in the crease tonight in Washington, and the Canadiens are watching closely.
According to Maxime Truman, Dobes’ recent form has put management in a tough spot, especially after Jacob Fowler got a third straight start in part because Dobes has struggled. The numbers tell the story: Dobes has a .856 save percentage in three starts, while Fowler is sitting at .906 and has won two in a row.
Dobes has been out of the net for more than a week, but the opportunity to answer back is here now. Truman described him as a fierce competitor and said he still believes a strong outing is coming.
The pressure, though, is real. As Truman put it: "He's been awful lately"
If Dobes has another rough night, the attention will shift even more toward Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes. Dobes is still on his previous contract, and there wasn’t any rush to get him locked in this summer. Instead, Montreal moved early and committed $5.36 million per season, a figure several observers believe is higher than what the club might have faced by waiting another year.
That approach fits the pattern for Gorton and Hughes, who have preferred to secure young players before the end of their deals, as they did with Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky. It’s a long-term play, but one that comes with risk.
This time, the bet was that Dobes would keep progressing.
"Dobes' difficult start to the season is giving management headaches, especially Jeff Gorton, I'm told."
- DLC
There’s also the Samuel Montembeault situation to factor in, with a possible return as early as next week. And with Fowler, sending him back to the minors wouldn’t make much sense.
So the question hanging over Montreal is a simple one: what do Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton do next?
For now, Dobes gets the next crack. And the Canadiens are hoping he looks like the goalie they believed they were paying for.
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