Between the Pipes: Risky Moves in Montreal

The Montreal Canadiens’ new management team, led by Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, was finally granted the green light to undertake a full rebuild. While they inherited a promising foundation of young talent and draft picks from Marc Bergevin’s “Reset” in 2018, they’ve successfully sold the fan base on the importance of patience in developing these prospects into NHL-caliber players.

For the most part, their decisions have been commendable. Their focus on drafting well, acquiring young NHL-ready talent like Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, and prioritizing player development has been solid. However, when it comes to the development of their young goaltending prospects, their decision-making has raised significant questions.

Goaltending Development Missteps

The Canadiens have made strides in drafting goaltenders, selecting players like Jacob Fowler, Quentin Miller, Emmett Croteau, Yevgeni Volokhin and Mikus Vecvanags—decisions that signal a commitment to improving the position. But the issue lies not with drafting but with how they’ve handled their goaltenders post-draft, particularly regarding timing and opportunities for growth.

Last season serves as a prime example. Despite having three goaltenders on the NHL roster for much of the year, Cayden Primeau—a 24-year-old with potential—was limited to just 21 games across all levels. Most of his NHL action came only after Jake Allen was traded to New Jersey on March 8, 2024. Development experts consistently stress the importance of regular game action for young players, and the Canadiens failed Primeau in this regard.

Fast-forward to this season, and Primeau’s struggles continue. In 11 NHL games, he’s posted a disappointing 4.70 GAA and a .836 save percentage, far from the performance expected of someone ready to challenge Samuel Montembeault for regular starts.

Questionable Call-Ups

The decision-making becomes even more perplexing with the recent call-up of Jakub Dobeš from the Laval Rocket. Primeau is reportedly heading to waivers after the Christmas roster freeze, but why rush Dobeš into the NHL spotlight? He’s only in his second North American season and was thriving with a strong Laval team. Confidence is key for young goaltenders, and disrupting Dobeš’s development at this stage seems risky.

Why not call up 28-year-old Connor Hughes instead? Looking at both goaltenders’ performances so far with the Laval Rocket, it seems like Hughes could fill the backup role without jeopardizing Dobeš’s growth, and his statistics suggest he could handle the responsibility in the short term.

A Risky Start

Adding to the concerns, Martin St-Louis announced that Dobeš will make his NHL debut against the Stanley Cup Champions Florida Panthers. To add to the issue is that the game is on the road – where St-Louis doesn’t have the last change – and after the team’s extended Christmas break, as historically, players try to find their cohesion.

While the young netminder could rise to the occasion and deliver a standout performance, the circumstances hardly set him up for success, something teams usually thrive for with their young prospects.

Learning from Past Mistakes

Primeau’s trajectory offers a cautionary tale. While questions about his mental fortitude persist, it’s worth noting how organizational decisions—like prematurely thrusting him into challenging roles—may have hindered his development. The Canadiens risk repeating this pattern with Dobeš, potentially undermining his long-term confidence and growth.

Here are Primeau’s career AHL numbers in comparison to Dobeš: 

Looking ahead, it’s crucial for Montreal to exercise patience with their blue-chip goaltending prospect, Jacob Fowler. Drawing inspiration from the Vancouver Canucks’ handling of Thatcher Demko, the Canadiens must avoid rushing Fowler and prioritize putting their young goaltenders in positions to succeed.

Final Thoughts

The Canadiens have done well in rebuilding much of their roster, but their approach to goaltender development needs a sharper focus. While risks are sometimes necessary in player development, the gamble must be calculated—and, in this case, the stakes seem unnecessarily high, particularly considering their odds of making the playoffs.

Trying to climb in the standings, the #Habs are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games.The issue is that TBL (1st WC) is 7-3-0, OTT (2nd WC) is 8-2-0 and PIT (1st outside WC) is 6-3-1 in their last 10. The #GoHabsGo find 5 teams between them and the last WC spot. They haven't gotten any closer.

— JD Lagrange (@jdlagrange.bsky.social) 2024-12-26T13:29:52.178Z