The Canadiens will need to go get a #2 goalie this summer

Logically, next year, Samuel Montembeault will be the habs’ #1 goalie. But after that?

We know Jakub Dobes will be either in Montreal or Laval. We can assume promising Jacob Fowler will also be in Quebec to play his first season as a pro.

And we’re not sure what’s next for Cayden Primeau, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

For a while, it seemed simple to think that Dobes would back up Montembeault in Montreal and the habs would replace Connor Hughes (who should return to Europe, according to the latest news) with a veteran to back up Fowler in Laval.

But now, do you want to easily give Dobes the #2 spot next year?

In 2025-2026, the habs will be more than ever a team that needs to aim for the playoffs. And right now, we can see that Dobes lacks the experience to help the habs in the NHL. To what extent will the offseason change everything for Dobes…

For a few weeks, Dobes hasn’t been the most reliable in front of his net. It’s not all his fault, but he doesn’t inspire confidence.

He’s not the only story of this loss in Philadelphia. But at the risk of repeating myself, Jakub Dobes, since the end of his undefeated streak in January, is struggling.

Current stats:

Before January 25: 5-0-0 / 1.55 / .941

Since January 25: 1-4-2 / 4.04 / .871

— Simon-Olivier Lorange (@so-lorange.bsky.social) March 27, 2025, at 10:06 PM

This is why the habs will have to think about getting a #2 goalie who can back up Samuel Montembeault for next season. If we want to prioritize the habs, it’s a necessity in my opinion.

After all, right now, in the organization, there’s only one healthy NHL goalie: Monty.

As I said, this must be the priority since Dobes has shown he’s not ready to play in the NHL. The habs might have thought they could keep Dobes in the NHL for 2025-2026 after his first games in town, but…

But right now, it’s not working.

We should never forget that the development of a young goalie is not linear. I’ve already written, when things were going well for Dobes, to fear that we might ruin Dobes’ development by bringing him to the NHL too quickly.

And Primeau even said, this week in an interview (Radio-Canada) with Marc Antoine Godin, that he would have liked to stay in the minors in 2022 to develop. For me, that’s a good reason to think about sending Dobes to the minors in 2025-2026, which makes the insurance policy necessary.

I would have liked to be left alone and let things develop on their own, instead of rushing them. — Cayden Primeau on the winter of 2022, when he was rushed into the NHL

Met Cayden Primeau today.
Having spent some time with him, he exuded confidence that I hadn’t felt before. It’s worth what it’s worth, but when he says (positively) that he’s not the same, I have no trouble believing him.
ici.radio-canada.ca/sports/21509…

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— Marc Antoine Godin (@magodin.bsky.social) March 26, 2025, at 8:28 PM

But if Kent Hughes signs a #2 goalie in Montreal and sends Jakub Dobes to the minors, we might see a problem on the horizon: Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler would likely have to share the net in Laval.

Is it ideal? No. But if neither of them is ready for the NHL and the habs don’t want to send Fowler back to Boston for a third year in the NCAA, it might be a necessary evil.

overtime

Of course, nothing is set in stone yet. But we can see that it was simpler when Dobes was playing well and had a chance to stay as Montembeault’s assistant for 2025-2026.

But life is not simple, sometimes.

It’s not said that Dobes won’t win a spot at the next camp… but it’s not a scenario we should count on. It takes a plan B, and I imagine the habs know that.

However, note that finding a goalie who wants to play in an organization that has Montembeault, Dobes, and potentially Fowler in the NHL/AHL could be tough to find.