All the talk around the Montreal Canadiens’ goaltending situation is Samuel Montembeault’s chances of getting a shot with Team Canada at the upcoming international tournaments and Jacob Fowler’s eventual arrival from Boston College. Mixed up in that mess is Cayden Primeau wanting to stay part of the conversation. However, Jakub Dobes should get some love as the Laval Rocket’s starting goaltender and a good puck-stopper in his own right.
Dobes was a workhorse for Laval last season. He played 51 games with the club, winning just 24 games. However, his stats were immaculate considering his losing record. The former Ohio State Buckeye owned a 2.93 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. It shouldn’t be that surprising, as his freshman season in college featured a .934 save percentage and a 2.26 goals-against average.
Fowler is understandably the gem of the Canadiens’ goaltending pipeline. His successful freshman season with Boston College cemented that, as he won 32 of his 39 starts, and owned a 2.14 goals-against average with a .926 save percentage. The numbers were impressive, but it can’t be forgotten that Dobes had better numbers on a weaker team. I’m not trying to say that Dobes is the better goaltender, but the fanbase should give him more recognition.