RUMOR! The Canadiens are reportedly planning to extend Jakub Dobes’ contract this summer

The Canadiens practiced this morning in Tampa Bay; they'll fly to Buffalo shortly after noon today. I know that several Montrealers—including Cédric from HFTV—will also be heading to Buffalo in the next few hours…

I wrote it yesterday and I'll say it again this morning: the series between the Sabres and the Habs could come down to goaltending.

On one hand, we have a young rookie goaltender who has taken his game to another level since Marco Marciano replaced Éric Raymond; Dobes has stopped 98 of the last 102 shots he's faced in the series against the Lightning. He's currently the “hottest” goaltender in the entire NHL.

On the other side, there's uncertainty. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was pulled from the series against the Bruins after one and two-thirds games… and we haven't seen him since. It's Alex Lyon, a goaltender who has made more starts in the AHL than in the NHL since the start of his career, who is now holding down the fort for the Sabres.

I'll say it again: this series could very well be decided in front of the net. Will Dobes be able to keep up his miraculous run? Will Lyon be as effective as he was against the Bruins? Will we see Luukkonen again?

Dobes: The Lowest-Paid

Here are the eight #1 goalies still active in the NHL (with their average annual salary in parentheses):

Jakub Dobes ($965,000)
Alex Lyon ($1.5 million)
Lukas Dostal ($6.5 million)
Carter Hart ($2 million)
Dan Vladar ($3.35 million)
Frederik Andersen ($2.75 million)
Jesper Wallstedt ($2.2 million)
Scott Wedgewood ($1.5 million)

Jakub Dobes is therefore the lowest-paid goaltender… and the second-youngest (and second-least experienced) after Jesper Wallstedt.

It's still pretty remarkable to see Dobes on that list, considering he was a fifth-round pick and was still in Laval not too long ago.

A contract extension this summer?

Take another look at the list of goalies above, and you might come to the same conclusion as I did: spending $10 million on a starting goalie is very risky in the new NHL. More goals are being scored than ever before, and several goalies considered among the best in the world are already on vacation this morning.

However, paying $965,000 for the goalie who led the team to the second round is just as much of a steal as the one the organization pulled off in Tampa on Sunday night.

Dobes will still be under contract in 2026-27 (actual salary of $900,000), before becoming eligible for restricted free agency… but also for arbitration.

According to my sources, the Canadiens have already let Dobes' agent know that they'd like to discuss a contract extension as soon as possible—starting July 1.

That's perfectly normal, you might say, and you'd be right.

The big question: how much is a goaltender of Jakub Dobes' caliber worth, especially since he doesn't have the experience of someone like Frederik Andersen? $3 or $4 million per season for three or four years?

Furthermore, is the Montreal organization convinced that Dobes will be its No. 1 goaltender for several years? Or does it still see him as a stopgap solution while waiting for Jacob Fowler to fully develop?

Reminder: Jaroslav Halak was traded after a stellar spring, to make way for Carey Price.

Even though Dobes has a knack for putting his foot in his mouth in front of the cameras, I believe the organization has identified him as its goalie of the future. And at this point, I wonder if trading Jacob Fowler this summer might not be a good idea…

It's worth noting that I clearly see Samuel Montembeault being traded this summer. He may be an excellent teammate right now, but seeing him in the stands—and not on the team bench—speaks for itself.

Extension

Gavino de Falco and I chatted about CF Montréal and FC Supra yesterday on IMFC Radio. We discussed Ivan Jaime's performance, the injuries to Hannadii Synchuk, Owen Graham-Roache, Aboubacar Sissoko, and Loïc Kwemi, as well as Yaya Touré's “strange” visit (which disappointed me) to Laval.

Enjoy the show!