{"id":403327,"date":"2026-01-12T12:07:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/403327\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T12:07:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:07:11","slug":"montreal-canadiens-3-man-crease-rotation-is-hurting-dobes-development-the-hockey-writers-canadiens-goaltending","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/403327\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal Canadiens’ 3-Man Crease Rotation Is Hurting Dobes’ Development – The Hockey Writers – Canadiens Goaltending"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Montreal Canadiens<\/a>\u2019 decision to roll with a three-goalie rotation has sparked plenty of debate over the past few weeks. Much of the conversation has focused on Samuel Montembeault\u2019s<\/a> struggles and confidence, or on Jacob Fowler\u2019s<\/a> impressive early performances and long-term upside. But in the middle of all this, one goaltender has quietly become the odd man out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since his start on Dec. 21<\/a>, Jakub Dobes has played<\/a> just once over the Canadiens\u2019 last seven games. While Fowler\u2019s development and Montembeault\u2019s confidence understandably dominate the discussion, Dobes appears to be the one paying the biggest price for this unusual setup.<\/p>\n

The Situation<\/p>\n

Montembeault\u2019s struggles earlier in the season opened the door for opportunity. After inconsistent play and declining confidence, the Canadiens made the decision to rest and send their veteran goaltender to the Laval Rocket for two games<\/a>, giving him a chance to reset mentally and technically. During that time, Fowler was recalled and immediately given a real opportunity at the NHL level. To his credit, Fowler responded well. He looked calm, composed, and technically sound, showing why the organization views him as a cornerstone of the future in net.<\/p>\n

\"JakubOct 9, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) makes the save on Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex Debrincat (93) in the second period at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

When Montembeault returned from Laval, however, the dynamic changed again. The Canadiens now had three goaltenders they felt needed ice time, each for different reasons. Fowler needed starts to continue his development. Montembeault needed starts to rebuild confidence and rediscover his game. And yet, as the rotation tightened, Dobes was the one left watching from the bench or the press box.<\/p>\n

Since Dec. 21, Dobes has seen minimal action despite previously being trusted with meaningful starts. While he hasn\u2019t been flawless, he hasn\u2019t been poor enough to justify being essentially shelved either. Instead, the Canadiens seem stuck trying to juggle competing priorities, and Dobes has become the collateral damage of that balancing act.<\/p>\n

The Reason Behind It<\/p>\n

From a logical standpoint, the Canadiens\u2019 reasoning is easy to understand. Fowler is widely considered the organization\u2019s goaltender of the future. At just 21 years old, his development is a top priority, and that development can only happen through game action. Sitting him on the bench for extended stretches would defeat the purpose of calling him up in the first place.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Montembeault remains the most experienced goaltender on the roster. Confidence has always been a key factor in his success, and after a difficult stretch earlier in the season, the Canadiens clearly believe the best way to get him back on track is through consistent starts. From a short-term competitiveness standpoint, that makes sense as well.<\/p>\n

Related: How the Canadiens\u2019 Roster Changes Reshaped Their Special Teams<\/a><\/p>\n

The problem is that Dobes fits many of the same criteria as Fowler. He is young. He is still developing. He needs rhythm and consistency to progress. Goaltenders, perhaps more than any other position, rely heavily on timing, confidence, and repetition. Extended time without starts can quickly disrupt that rhythm, especially for a young goalie still trying to establish himself at the NHL level.<\/p>\n

By prioritizing Fowler\u2019s upside and Montembeault\u2019s confidence, the Canadiens have unintentionally pushed Dobes into the background. He is no longer getting the starts required to properly evaluate his game, nor the consistency needed to continue his development. In trying to serve everyone\u2019s needs, the three-man rotation is currently serving Dobes\u2019 the least.<\/p>\n

The End of the Three-Man Rotation<\/p>\n

The organization is aware that this situation cannot last forever. General manager Kent Hughes<\/a> has already acknowledged that the three-goalie rotation is not a long-term solution. At some point, the Canadiens will need to commit to just two goaltenders at the NHL level. The lingering question is not if that decision will come, but when. As the season progresses, delaying that decision only increases the risk of stalling one player\u2019s development.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eventually, the Canadiens will need to decide which two goaltenders best serve both their present needs and future vision. Until that happens, Dobes remains the biggest victim of the current setup. In a season where development is supposed to be the priority, the longer this three-man rotation continues, the harder it becomes to justify how Dobes fits into the plan.<\/p>\n

If the Canadiens truly want to develop all their young talent properly, the clock is ticking to end the experiment, and ensure Dobes doesn\u2019t get lost in the crease.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Montreal Canadiens\u2019 decision to roll with a three-goalie rotation has sparked plenty of debate over the past…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":257713,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5103],"tags":[265,5,3567,909,264,21,5147,4,970],"class_list":{"0":"post-403327","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-montreal-canadiens","8":"tag-canadiens","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-jacob-fowler","11":"tag-jakub-dobes","12":"tag-montreal","13":"tag-montreal-canadiens","14":"tag-montrealcanadiens","15":"tag-nhl","16":"tag-sam-montembeault"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115882049159716422","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}