Canadiens Lock Up Their Playoff Hero Jakub Dobes With New Contract

The Montreal Canadiens are making it clear they intend to build around the young talent that carried them on a surprising postseason run this spring. Just one day after extending forward Ivan Demidov on a massive eight-year deal, the organization turned its attention to the netminder who backstopped them through the Eastern Conference Final.

On Thursday, the Canadiens announced they had agreed to terms with goaltender Jakub Dobes on a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $5,357,575. The deal, which covers the 2027-28 through 2029-30 seasons, keeps the 25-year-old in Montreal well beyond his current entry-level contract, which still has one year remaining.

From Fifth-Round Pick to Franchise Goaltender

Dobes' journey to becoming Montreal's undisputed number one is a story of patient development paying off in spectacular fashion. Selected 136th overall by the Canadiens at the 2020 NHL Draft, few could have predicted the Czech netminder would emerge as one of the league's most impressive young goalies this quickly. His NHL debut came on December 28 against the Florida Panthers, and he announced his arrival with a 34-save shutout.

From there, Dobes never looked back. Over the course of the regular season, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound goaltender appeared in 43 games, compiling a 29-10-4 record with a 2.78 goals-against average and .901 save percentage. His 29 victories topped all rookie netminders across the league, placing him ninth overall among all NHL goalies in that category. The performance earned him a spot on the 2025-26 NHL All-Rookie Team alongside teammate Demidov and a fourth-place finish in Calder Trophy voting.

Dobes truly cemented his status after the trade deadline, when Sam Montembeault was moved to the third-string role and prospect Jacob Fowler was promoted as the backup. Over his final stretch from March 7 onward, Dobes posted a 10-4-0 record with a sparkling .924 save percentage, trailing only Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy in wins during that span.

A Postseason Performance for the Ages

If the regular season established Dobes as a legitimate starter, the playoffs confirmed him as a cornerstone. He started every single one of Montreal's 19 postseason games during their run to the Eastern Conference Final, recording a 2.66 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. His nine playoff wins tied him for third in franchise history among rookie goaltenders, placing him in rare company within one of hockey's most storied organizations.

Perhaps the most telling statistic from his postseason was his league-leading 13.3 goals saved above expected among all playoff goaltenders, a metric that underscores just how much he outperformed what was asked of him. Dobes was not simply along for the ride during Montreal's run; he was the driving force behind it.

With Dobes now signed through 2030 and Demidov locked in on his own long-term deal, general manager Kent Hughes has moved swiftly to secure the pillars of what the Canadiens hope will be a perennial contender. Dobes still has one season remaining on his current contract before the extension kicks in, and he will likely enter the 2026-27 campaign as the clear starter, though competition from Fowler could push him to maintain his elite level. For a franchise that has long searched for stability in net, the Canadiens appear to have found their answer in a fifth-round gem from the Czech Republic.