Why The Habs Have The Best Goaltending Tandem For The Future
One thing that became very clear during the Montreal Canadiens’ playoff run was just how good their situation in between the pipes is looking right now. Starting netminder Jakub Dobes had an amazing playoff performance where he was the main reason for the Habs even getting to the Eastern Conference Finals, and then his backup goalie Jacob Fowler is one of the best goalie prospects in the NHL, who may be even better than Dobes someday. It seems like what could be a weakness for the team after Carey Price retired is once again a strength for the Habs. With that being said the Habs just may have the best goaltending tandem in the league going forward.
Do the #GoHabsGo currently have the best goaltending situation in the NHL?#thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro @BWildeMTL pic.twitter.com/OzHxDAIGY6
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) June 4, 2026
During Wednesday night’s Sick Podcast episode, Tony Marinaro and regular guest Brian Wilde discussed the goaltending situation that the Canadiens have in front of them for the next few years. It really looks promising when they have a 25-year-old Dobes who seems to have really established himself as a starting goaltender after just 1.5 years of experience in the NHL. Then, they also have a 21-year-old in Fowler, who will arguably be better than Dobes as long as he can get his fair share of games as his backup, which screams that the Habs are set up to have one of the best tandems in the entire league. This will only show the league just how deadly that Canadiens will be done the line.
Wilde brought up that age 25 is normally when a goalie officially shows what he is and can be at the NHL level. Dobes, who just freshly turned 25 on Wednesday last week, looks as if he has become a bona fide starting netminder. It is still possible that he regresses a bit early next year, but the work he has done with new goaltending coach Marco Marciano since the Olympic break makes it seem like the progression he made throughout his first full NHL season is here to stay. Time will tell, but this past season showed that Dobes may be the real deal, which makes it harder to be certain as to whether or not Fowler will be the starter or not. However, just the fact he’s been able to hold his own at age 21 in the NHL shows that he too may end up becoming a real deal for the Canadiens, which is why the Habs could legitimately be argued as having the best tandem for 3-4 years down the road.
The Dobeš-Fowler tandem has been rock solid lately!@EricEngels: “They could beat anybody”#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/0de4I53eK0
— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) March 31, 2026
When you think of it, there isn’t one tandem elsewhere in the league that you can say has a greater outlook than what the Habs are expected to have going forward. Sure, there will be stars like Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman still in their prime in 3-4 years, but they likely will need to play 60-65 games a year to give their teams the best chances of winning. With the Habs, if they elect to go with Dobes and Fowler for good next season (there is still the possibility that they sign a cheap backup to play behind Dobes next year so Fowler can dominate in the AHL), they are looking at what can be a more long-term version of the dominant tandem the Boston Bruins had before trading Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators. Yes, choosing one starter to play 60 games is what most teams like to do still, but it seems that working in tandem actually works better in today’s NHL. Still, there will always be one guy who gets a little more action than the other, and as of now, that guy has to be Dobes based on how he’s played in both the regular season.
In 43 regular season games, Dobes had a great 29-10-4 record alongside a .901 save percentage (which improved constantly towards the end of the season) and a 2.78 GAA. Come playoff time, he was even a little better despite a 9-10 record with a .908 save percentage and 2.66 GAA. The fact that numbers are somewhat similar shows that he can maintain his play over more than just a small sample size, and none of this was just a hot streak.
“Dobeš is playing out of his mind, and Fowler looks like Carey Price… They’re both top 10 goalies since the Olympics, and they’re playing with a lot of confidence.”@VallysView joins @RealKyper and @jtbourne to share why Montreal’s tandem gives them a shot at the Stanley Cup. pic.twitter.com/mTnNEcvCEx
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) April 14, 2026
As for Fowler, he looked good in his starts for the most part as well, posting a solid . 908 save percentage and 2.43 GAA with a 9-6-2 record in 17 games. Not to mention, he was the only Habs netminder to record a shutout all season.
Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler
The next Swayman and Ullmark-like tandem? #GoHabsGo https://t.co/zl3OYCEQAZ
— Chris Davis (@11chrisjdavis) January 5, 2025
With that being said, both young goaltenders deserve to be in the NHL next season, and in order to make sure Fowler can continue to develop, he must get about 30 starts in the 2026-27 campaign. Getting between 50 and 55 starts will also be good for Dobes, who has never played more than 51 regular season games in his career. In fact, when we include playoffs, this season was the most he ever played. Besides, starting the tandem where they each get a good amount of games next season will be the best way to ensure that they can be the best goaltending duo in the NHL.
Do you think the Habs can have the best goaltending tandem someday?
