The early months of an NHL campaign are typically defined by adjustments, early-season chemistry experiments, and the gradual settling of roster hierarchies. For the Montreal Canadiens, however, the opening weeks of the 2026–27 regular season have introduced an unexpected and complex storyline squarely focused on the crease. What began as a routine battle for organizational depth has swiftly blossomed into a full-fledged goaltending conundrum, complete with injury setbacks, struggling confidence, and the sudden emergence of a young netminder forcing his way into the conversation.
At the heart of this unfolding situation is a three-way battle for the primary starting role under head coach Martin St. Louis. With veteran presence Sam Montembeault currently sidelined due to injury, 25-year-old Jakub Dobes fighting to reclaim his footing after a rocky start, and 21-year-old Jacob Fowler capitalizing on every minute of ice time given to him, the Canadiens find themselves managing a delicate balancing act. When the full complement of goaltenders eventually returns to health, St. Louis and the Montreal coaching staff will face a series of remarkably difficult decisions regarding how to allocate starts and shape the long-term hierarchy of the position.
Montembeault Reclaiming His Position
For veteran goaltender Sam Montembeault, the opening chapters of the 2026–27 season have delivered a frustrating roadblock. The 29-year-old netminder entered the autumn months looking to re-establish himself as the undisputed anchor of Montreal’s defense following a difficult 2025–26 campaign. His performance during the pre-season offered genuine encouragement to the coaching staff, highlighted by an impressive stretch where he surrendered just a single goal on 35 shots across nearly four full games of action.
That positive momentum came to an abrupt halt during a routine practice session. While attempting to make a save, Montembeault sustained a lower-body injury that forced him out of the lineup and into the training room. The setback compounds what has already been a challenging developmental curve for the veteran. Between the 2024–25 season and the subsequent 2025–26 campaign, Montembeault experienced a noticeable dip in his core statistical metrics. His save percentage slid from a respectable .902 down to .872, while his goals-against average climbed significantly from 2.80 to 3.43. Limited to just 25 appearances last season, he ultimately lost his grip on the starting job to Dobes.
Now, with a lower-body injury keeping him on the sidelines while two healthy netminders establish a 1A/1B rotation, Montembeault’s immediate future in the Canadiens’ crease has grown murky. Compounded by inconsistency in his previous outings and lingering durability concerns, the veteran currently finds himself sitting third in the team’s goaltending hierarchy. This dynamic creates a uniquely pressurized environment in Montreal. This is not a straightforward competition where each candidate enters with an identical baseline; instead, every goaltender is fighting an entirely different battle—one is fighting to hold his current position, another is fighting to overcome physical injury, and a third is striving to prove he is far more than a temporary backup.
Fowler Climbing The Ranks
While injuries and inconsistencies have disrupted the veteran ranks, the most compelling storyline in Montreal’s crease belongs to 21-year-old Jacob Fowler. Originally projected to spend the early portion of the 2026–27 season developing his game in the American Hockey League with the Laval Rocket, Fowler has instead turned an unexpected opportunity into a legitimate challenge for the Canadiens’ starting role.
Fowler’s early-season numbers speak volumes about his rapid ascent. He has compiled a 2-1-0 record accompanied by a strong .906 save percentage and a stellar 1.91 goals-against average. More importantly, he has strung together three consecutive victories, punctuated by a masterful 30-save shutout performance in a tense 1-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings.
This meteoric rise is not entirely unprecedented. Fowler gained valuable experience during the previous campaign, appearing in 17 games for Montreal where he posted a 9-6-2 record and a .908 save percentage. That NHL stint was earned through sheer dominance at the AHL level, where he exploded onto the professional scene by recording a .919 save percentage, a 2.09 goals-against average, and three shutouts in his first 15 games with the Laval Rocket before earning his initial recall in December 2025.
Even before his current call-up, Fowler had begun the new campaign in Laval, appearing in two games and stopping 52 of 55 shots. When Montembeault’s injury forced Montreal’s hand, Fowler answered the bell immediately. His composure, technical consistency, and ability to turn a potential goaltending crisis into an organizational opportunity have forced the Canadiens’ coaching staff to fundamentally reconsider his role and the volume of net time he genuinely deserves. Rather than serving as a distant prospect on the horizon, Fowler is firmly on a fast, steady track to prove that he belongs at the highest level of professional hockey.
Dobes’ Hunt For Consistency
If Fowler represents the surging momentum of the crease, Jakub Dobes represents the turbulent realities of establishing oneself as an everyday NHL goaltender. The 25-year-old netminder entered the 2026–27 regular season bearing the mantle of Montreal’s starter, but his opening weeks have been undeniably rocky.
Despite a rough stretch, the early regular-season schedule provides ample justification for the Canadiens to exercise patience. Dobes has appeared in four games thus far, posting a 1-2-1 record alongside a concerning 4.63 goals-against average. The struggles have been starkly concentrated in recent outings; Dobes surrendered a combined 11 goals across two successive starts, prompting the coaching staff to turn to Fowler in relief. After a brief three-game reset, Dobes returned to the crease but continued to face heavy traffic, allowing five goals on 23 shots.
The trajectory of Dobes’ tenure in Montreal has shifted dramatically in a relatively short span. Just months ago, he was viewed as the undisputed future of the franchise’s crease. Last season, he put together a heavy workload of 43 appearances, compiling a solid 29-10-4 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.78 goals-against average. He carried that heavy load into the postseason as well, starting 19 games and maintaining a .908 save percentage through the crucible of playoff hockey.
Now, with his consistency deserting him in the opening weeks of the new campaign, Dobes finds himself fighting vigorously to defend his position and earn back the trust of the coaching staff. With Montembeault working toward full health and Fowler continuing to steal games on a nightly basis, Dobes faces a multi-layered battle. He must not only rediscover the technical form that made him successful a year ago, but he must also fend off both an ascending young challenger and an experienced veteran looking to reclaim his throne as soon as he steps back onto the ice.