Jakub Dobes

Jakub Dobes, G — Montréal Canadiens

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Performance

Dobes has been one of the more compelling stories of the 2026 playoffs, logging significant ice time across five consecutive games against Tampa Bay, including back-to-back 60-minute outings and one stretch that pushed past 69 minutes. The raw game log data is incomplete, but the sheer volume of playoff starts tells its own story — this is not a goaltender being sheltered. For a 2020 draftee, earning this kind of postseason workload in a high-stakes series is meaningful developmental mileage.

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What People Are Saying

The noise around Dobes has reached a remarkable pitch. **Karvinský a havířovský deník** ran a piece invoking Plante, Dryden, Roy, and Price alongside his name — a comparison set that reflects genuine excitement in Czech hockey circles, even if NHL observers will apply more caution. **The Hockey Writers** flagged him specifically in a second-round preview piece, signaling that he's earned attention beyond just prospect-watcher circles. The lighter note came from **Yahoo Sports** and **The Hockey News**, both reporting that teammate Sam Montembeault pranked Dobes after a Game 7 win, suggesting Montembeault started that deciding game — a reminder that the crease isn't fully Dobes's yet.

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Outlook

Montembeault's continued presence as the playoff starter caps Dobes's immediate ceiling, but the fact that he's dressing and contributing in a second-round series at his age is a net positive for his development trajectory. His buzz score sits at a modest 5/100 despite the playoff context, meaning wider recognition is still lagging behind actual performance.

**Watch for:** Whether Dobes gets the start in any second-round game against Buffalo — a win there would sharply accelerate the conversation about his timeline as a future NHL starter.