Jakub Dobes Isn’t a Lock to Be the Canadiens’ Starter – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens enter the 2026-27 season with plenty of intriguing battles to watch at training camp, but one of the biggest could come between the pipes. After an impressive 2025-26 season and a strong playoff run, Jakub Dobes appears to have positioned himself as Montreal’s starting goaltender. However, with Samuel Montembeault still around and Jacob Fowler knocking on the door, nothing should necessarily be considered guaranteed. Dobes will enter camp as the favorite, but will he leave it with the starting job firmly in his hands?

Dobes Starts With the Lead

If the Canadiens opened their season tomorrow, there is little doubt Dobes would deserve the first start. The 25-year-old took a significant step forward last season, finishing the regular season with a 29-10-4 record and establishing himself as Montreal’s most reliable option in net. More importantly, he carried that momentum into the postseason.

Dobes went 9-6-4 during Montreal’s playoff run while posting a 2.66 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. The numbers were solid, but his performance was arguably even more impressive than the statistics suggest. There were several nights when Dobes gave the Canadiens a chance to win despite being heavily tested, and he showed an ability to handle the pressure that comes with playoff hockey in Montreal.

His performance should give him the inside track entering training camp. Dobes earned the opportunity to start the season as Montreal’s number one, and it would probably take a very difficult camp for him to lose that position immediately.

There Is Still Competition

Montembeault’s difficult 2025-26 season has changed the conversation surrounding Montreal’s crease. For a while, Montembeault appeared to be the Canadiens’ clear starter. That is no longer the case. His struggles opened the door for Dobes, who took advantage of the opportunity and eventually became the team’s go-to option.

However, Montembeault remains with the organization. Could a strong training camp put him back into the conversation? It seems unlikely that Montreal would completely hand the crease back to Montembeault based on a few preseason games, but it’s not impossible for him to earn a larger role than expected. Goaltending can change quickly, and the Canadiens aren’t going to ignore strong performances simply because Dobes finished last season ahead of him.

Then there is perhaps the most interesting name of all, Jacob Fowler. Fowler continues to look like a major piece of Montreal’s future in net and showed last season that he isn’t far away from being ready for significant NHL responsibilities. He went 9-6-2 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage with Montreal.

At this point, the question surrounding Fowler isn’t necessarily whether he can eventually become an NHL starter. It’s how quickly the Canadiens want to give him that opportunity. Montreal could decide Fowler is better served playing a lot of games rather than sitting behind Dobes. But if he comes into training camp and outplays everyone, he could make that decision much more complicated.

Why Dobes Should Get the Opportunity

Ultimately, the Canadiens should enter the season with Dobes as their starting goaltender. Montreal has spent the last several years building around its young core, and it’s time to see whether Dobes can become another long-term piece of that group.

He made major progress last season, performed when the games mattered most and showed that he was capable of handling a larger workload. The Canadiens also showed their confidence in him by giving him an extension this summer. Now they need to find out what they really have.

That doesn’t mean Dobes should have the position locked down for the entire season regardless of his performance. He still has only 59 games of NHL experience, which is a relatively small sample for a goaltender.

The NHL has seen plenty of young goalies look excellent for stretches before struggling once opponents adjust or their workload increases. Becoming a true NHL starter is much different than putting together one strong season.

That’s what makes this season so important for Dobes. He has earned the first opportunity. Montembeault and Fowler should have a chance to push him, but Dobes shouldn’t have to win the job from scratch at training camp.