The goaltending situation for the Montreal Canadiens has raised eyebrows since the start of the season and even before.
The observation was clear: there were too many guards, especially when Casey DeSmith was still in town.
The latter's departure had eased the situation somewhat, but there were still three goalkeepers in Montreal as the CH did not want to send Cayden Primeau on waivers.
The Habs therefore started the season with three goalkeepers in town with the plan to trade one as quickly as possible.
We are now in March, the March 8th trade deadline is fast approaching and the three goaltenders (Samuel Montembeault, Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau) are all still in Montreal.
So Martin St-Louis has had to juggle three goalkeepers for 60 games, which is really not ideal for both the coach and the goalkeepers in question.
It's a situation that wasn't ideal at the start of the season, but at the same time was safe given the lack of depth in front of the net after those threes.
If Primeau had to be traded or lost or placed on waivers and Allen was injured, the CH would have been forced to urgently recall young Jakub Dobes from Laval, which really wouldn't have been ideal.
Sending a rookie to the NHL second in his first professional season would not have been a good idea for his development.
On the other hand, we now know that Dobes is a solid goaltender and that he is progressing very well after having almost a full season of experience in the American League.
Although, according to Renaud Lavoie, the 22-year-old could be Samuel Montembeault's deputy in 2024-2025.
My impression is that the @CanadiensMTL have no intention of deviating from their plan given the trade deadline. ⬇️ https://t.co/g94J9083HA
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) March 2, 2024
Given his recent performances with the Laval Rocket (13-6-3 record in his last 23 games with a .920 efficiency percentage), Dobes is clearly a great option to play in the NHL this season.
He has made very good progress this season and clearly shows that he has great potential. According to Grant McCagg, even better than the then Cayden Primeau.
The arrival of veteran Kasimir Kaskisuo as the Rocket's second goalie will have really helped Dobes. Kaskisuo is to Jakub Dobes what Kevin Poulin was to Cayden Primeau.
In short, Dobes could be playing in the NHL next season, but we'll have to clean up for that because there are still two goaltenders left in the organization's fold, Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau.
For Dobes to support Montembeault next season, both Allen and Primeau would have to be replaced by the start of the 2024-2025 season.
The probability of this is not very high, but if Kent Hughes wants to make room for the young 22-year-old Czech, he will find a way to get rid of the two goalkeepers.
Ultimately, we want young players to progress and get closer to the NHL, and that's exactly what Jakub Dobes is doing right now.
Even though all the other good young CH goalkeepers are having good seasons (Jacob Fowler, Quentin Miller and Yevgeni Volokhin), it's time to give Dobes a chance before it's too late.
In short, let's see if Allen and Primeau will be traded next season and if Dobes will have his chance in the NHL before he is overtaken by the other young goaltenders on the organizational chart.
Who knows, maybe Dobes will become CH's starting goalkeeper one day if he performs well and overtakes Samuel Montembeault.
Much
– Totally deserved.
A total of 17 points in 11 games for our captain in February 🔥
That's 17 points in 11 games for our captain in February#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/y39O1Qdq4Y
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 1, 2024
– Rielly has been quietly trying to get his game back since his suspension ended.
Rielly on returning from suspension: “I feel like I'm still trying to find my game… I expect to get better”
Sheldon Keefe: “I’m not worried about Morgan. “He’s been here a long time and has given his best when it matters”https://t.co/P4Z5LRCOGD
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 2, 2024
– Very funny.
Therapy day for Martin St. Louis with Lightning. LOL. https://t.co/5cXansXOSp
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) March 2, 2024
– Story to listen to.
According to this new podcast with Julian Gressel, Messi speaks a little English. He reveals moments on the field with Miami's number 10. 😃 pic.twitter.com/gF2ReY2g4F
— Patrice Bernier (@pbernier10) March 2, 2024
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