The Canadiens have re-signed restricted free agent goaltender Jakub Dobes to a two-year, $1.93MM contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will carry a $965K cap hit. Dobes was still eligible for an offer sheet after not filing for arbitration yesterday, but instead came to a quick agreement with Montreal.
Dobes, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, spent two seasons with Ohio State as their starter before signing his entry-level deal near the end of the 2022-23 campaign. The 6’4″, 201-lb Czech netminder was one of the Big 10’s top goalies in that span, earning both All-Rookie and First All-Star Team honors in 2021-22 after a standout 2.26 GAA and .934 SV% in 35 games after making the jump from the Tier I junior United States Hockey League.
The Ostrava native spent his first professional season as the full-time starter for AHL Laval in 2023-24, adjusting to the next level relatively well with a 2.93 GAA, .906 SV%, one shutout, and a 24-18-6 record in 51 games, tying for the league lead in appearances despite not carrying a minute of professional experience entering the season.
When NHL backup Cayden Primeau struggled out of the gate last season, posting a .836 SV% and 4.70 GAA in 11 games through the first two months of the 2024-25 campaign behind Sam Montembeault, he was waived around Christmas and Dobes was brought up from Laval in his place. The 24-year-old spent the rest of the season as Montembeault’s full-time backup, looking like a true NHL-caliber goalie in the process. He didn’t storm out of the gates but was certainly an above-average No. 2 option, logging a 7-4-3 record, .909 SV%, 2.74 GAA, one shutout, and eight quality starts in 16 appearances.
While Dobes is presumably the favorite to win the backup job in camp this fall, they haven’t handed it to him on a silver platter. The club also signed veteran option Kaapo Kähkönen to a one-year, $1.15MM contract when free agency opened. While he spent most of last season in the minors, he has 140 games of NHL experience and was an everyday NHLer as recently as 2023-24. He and Dobes will make for the Habs’ most intriguing roster spot battle when training camp opens in over two months.
A two-year deal for Dobes walks him to his last summer of RFA eligibility, so the Canadiens won’t be able to control his signing rights again after their next round of contract negotiations.
Image courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.