When the player-elected arbitration deadline passed yesterday, only Jayden Struble elected to use that course of action. Jakub Dobes was eligible for it, but he didn’t file. It turns out he didn’t need to; less than 24 hours later, the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]announced they had put pen to paper with the promising young goaltender. Dobes got his baptism of fire in the NHL this past season when he was thrown into action against the Stanley Cup defending champions, the Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers], on December 28. After the Christmas break, the Canadiens put Cayden Primeau on waivers, and when he was ignored, they assigned him to the Laval Rocket and recalled Dobes as a result. Canadiens: Cole Caufield Lost More Than a Teammate [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-cole-caufield-lost-more-than-a-teammate] NHL.com Projected USA Olympics Roster: Which Canadiens’ Player Is Missing? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/nhl-com-projected-usa-olympics-roster-which-canadiens-player-is-missing] Canadiens: Struble Elects Arbitration [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-struble-elects-arbitration] Nobody thought the 24-year-old would be making his debut last season. When the Canadiens traded Jake Allen at the trade deadline during the 2023-24 season, it was because they believed Primeau was ready to shoulder the load of backup. His numbers did suggest that he was. He finished that season with an 8-9-4 record, a 2.99 goal-against average, and a .910 save percentage. Unfortunately, October was a bad month, followed by an even worse one in November and a terrible one in December. By the time he was sent down to Laval, he had a 2-3-0 record with a 4.70 GAA and a .836 save percentage, and Martin St-Louis had lost faith in his backup, which prompted Dobes’ arrival. In his first game with the Canadiens, he blanked the Panthers, making 34 stops. He won his first five starts, dispatching the Panthers, the Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche], the Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals], the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars], and the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers]: four playoff teams and a team with a lot of big guns. The following 11 games were more challenging, and he went through a couple of three-game losing streaks, but he bounced back, and in his last two games of the season, he had a .973 SV and a .971SV, which gave him a 7-4-3 record with a 2.74 GAA and a .909 SV on the season. The new deal he signed is a two-year, one-way contract with a $965,000 AAV and comes in just $185,000 under the one signed by 28-year-old free agent signing Kaapo Kahkonen. Interestingly, Dobes’ deal will end exactly when Samuel Montembeault’s does, leaving Kent Hughes free to implement a new salary structure in the crease depending on how each goaltender performs. Montembeault will be a UFA and Dobes a RFA with arbitration rights, just one year away from unrestricted free agency. Meanwhile, Jacob Fowler will have just one year left on his ELC. When training camp rolls around, Dobes will have a battle on his hands for the backup role, while most are ready to give it to him, Kahkonen has been clear about his intention of making his way back to the NHL. The Finn has 140 games of NHL experience and will have to clear waivers to be assigned to the Laval Rocket. It will be interesting to see how Dobes handles the internal competition. Still, he does start with the inside lane, being well-known within the organization and having demonstrated his capabilities last season. While Dobes is a different kind of goaltender from what we’ve been used to seeing in Montreal, he has been entertaining to watch. While his technique and positioning aren’t necessarily great, he finds a way to stop the puck, and often in spectacular fashion, even if he caused it to be stunning in the first place. Unlike Samuel Montembeault, he’s also very aggressive in his crease with a strong stick he uses to cut passes and abort plays. He doesn’t hesitate to police his crease and push out any intruder. With this signing, Struble is now the sole free agent on the team that Hughes needs to sign. Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. 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