Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL
A simple photo on Facebook showing Samuel Montembeault’s empty locker has reopened the big question surrounding the Canadiens’ crease.
The image shows the row of goaltenders’ lockers in the dressing room, with his compartment cleared of equipment. Fans reacted immediately-some saw it as a clue, others as a meaningless coincidence.
Let’s recall that Samuel Montembeault is 29 years old and has been established in Montreal for several seasons. His current season has been more difficult, with 14 games played, a 3.61 goals-against average, and a .861 save percentage.
Jakub Dobes, 24, making his presence felt at the Bell Centre
The famous “J. DOBES 75” label obviously refers to Jakub Dobes, the 24-year-old Czech goaltender, a fifth-round pick (136th overall) in 2020. The 6-foot-4, 201-pound netminder already has 32 NHL games of experience, with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
After a blazing start to the season-described as a 6-0-0 record with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage-he now has 16 games played and carries a 3.03 goals-against average with a .890 save percentage.
In this context, the photo of the empty locker captures the imagination. It comes after several weeks during which Montembeault has faced heavy criticism, even leaving social media entirely because the digital pressure had become overwhelming.
“Monty’s locker is still empty”
However, caution is needed. Lockers are routinely emptied and refilled for equipment maintenance or simple rearrangements, and nothing explicitly indicates that Montembeault is about to leave the organization. For now, there is no official indication of a major change in goal. As Martin St-Louis noted earlier, Montembeault was originally slated to start against the Blues, but he was sidelined due to illness.
Still, on the ice, the shift is becoming noticeable. Last season, Montembeault played 62 games with a 2.82 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage, while Dobes posted a 2.74 and .909 line in 16 games-numbers that explain why several recent polls already view him as the new number one.
In the end, no matter the name above the locker in the photo, the Canadiens benefit from an interesting tandem: a veteran with 220 games of experience and a young goaltender on an upward trajectory.
Previously on All Montreal Hockey