Jakub Dobes enters next season with the Canadiens’ crease, the contract to match and Jacob Fowler right behind him.
That is the reality Montreal has built for itself after a season in which the goalie picture flipped fast. Samuel Montembeault began the year as the unquestioned starter after the best season of his career and a run that helped the Canadiens reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021. But he stumbled early and never got back to that level, and Dobes seized the opening.
Dobes wasted no time making his case. He opened last season with six straight wins, becoming just the 10th rookie goalie in NHL history to win each of his first six appearances.
Even then, Montreal kept trying to get Montembeault going, and that choice came with a cost. The long stretches between starts seemed to throw Dobes off, but once the team finally leaned into the hot hand, the young netminder settled in and took over the job.
By the second half, Dobes was carrying the crease. He won seven of his final 10 starts and then raised his level again in the playoffs, where Montreal needed every bit of it.
The Canadiens’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning turned into a goaltending showcase, and Dobes was the reason they survived. Game 7 told the story best: Montreal managed only nine shots, but Dobes stopped 28 of 29 in a 2-1 win that stunned Tampa Bay.
That performance helped convince the Canadiens he could be their next franchise goalie, and they backed it up with a three-year, $16.05 million contract extension this offseason.
Fowler has made sure this isn’t a one-goalie future, though. Montreal originally planned for him to spend the entire season with the Laval Rocket, but Montembeault’s struggles forced a change.
Fowler got the call and made his debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping 36 shots in a 4-2 win and joining Carey Price, Ken Dryden, and Patrick Roy as goalies who picked up their first career win against Pittsburgh. He finished 9-6-2 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, enough to look like a legitimate long-term answer.
Dobes was simply better. He finished 29-10-4 with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage, and that’s why he goes into next season as Montreal’s starter.
The bigger question is how much runway he gets if things go sideways. Montembeault held the job for more than three seasons before losing it after 25 games, and that history is sitting right there as the Canadiens sort out a very good problem: two young goalies with starter upside, and not enough room for both to stay happy if the balance gets tricky.
In Other News...
Canadiens May Have Found A Trade Fit In Calgarys Rebuild
The Canadiens spent much of the offseason looking at ways to add another forward, and Calgarys situation has naturally come into focus as the Flames continue to reshape their roster. One player drawing interest is a center who just put together a career-best season with 22 goals and 43 points, a kind of production that stands out even more on a team in transition. For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: a player still in a useful age range, coming off his best year, and potentially available as Calgary retools.
What makes the possibility more intriguing is the timing. The Flames are in rebuild mode, which can open the door to moves that help both sides, especially when a player is approaching a key contract decision and may not be part of the long-term plan. For the Canadiens, the question is whether this becomes a true trade fit before the 2026-27 season, or just another name that makes sense on paper while the market sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Roy Just Stirred Up A Canadiens Dream Fans Still Feel
Patrick Roys appearance at the Serge Savard Invitational at Le Mirage Golf Club gave Canadiens fans another reminder of how deeply his name remains tied to the franchises history. He was there alongside former Montreal players Stphane Richer and Sergio Momesso to celebrate the 1986 Stanley Cup championship, and the setting only added to the nostalgia around one of the teams most enduring eras.
Roy attended as an ambassador for the Canadiens organization, which is enough to keep the old dreams alive in Montreal even without any fresh movement behind the scenes. Fans will keep connecting those dots as long as he keeps showing up in team circles, but for now there is still no official sign that a reunion is actually on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Loom In A Young Star Contract Squeeze
Connor Bedards new contract has already started to ripple through the NHLs next wave of negotiations, and Montreal has reason to watch closely. The deal establishes a fresh benchmark for young stars, which matters for a Canadiens team that still has cap space and could be positioned to make use of market shifts involving the leagues brightest rising forwards.
Cutter Gauthier and Adam Fantilli are among the players whose next contracts are expected to be shaped by Bedards number, and that creates a potential squeeze for teams trying to keep their young talent in line. For Montreal, the intrigue is less about what has happened than what might follow, since no offer sheets or trades have surfaced yet, but the combination of cap room and an unsettled market keeps the Canadiens in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]