Introduction
After a few years in the organization, Jakub Dobeš isn’t the mystery he used to be. This last year in Laval made sure his name was well known to the people of La Belle Province. His season in Laval started with an arduous stretch, followed up by an incredible 10 to 12 games, to finally come back down to earth for the last two months.
Dobeš was born in the Czech Republic and moved to the United States ahead of the 2017-18 season. He played two years of Under-18 AAA hockey in St. Louis. The 2018-19 season was his first big step forward, as he made his NAHL debut.
His path took him to The Ohio State University where he posted strong numbers in a two-year career. He signed his first professional contract at the end of the collegiate season, making the jump from the NCAA to the AHL, where he has moved into the starting job in Laval. After a full season in the AHL, he needs to show the organization that is he still worth investing time and resources into. With a veteran goalie signed as a backup, the crease is Dobeš’s to lose.
One of the main topics of conversation in recent years after the sudden end to Carey Price’s career was the lack of quality goaltenders in the Canadiens’ prospect pool. With the addition of a talented goaltending prospect in Jacob Fowler last summer, Dobeš will do everything he can to remind the organization of his incredible potential.
It’s difficult to get a perfect read on goaltenders, but as of right now, it’s fair to say Dobeš may represent the Canadiens’ second- or third-best hope among goaltending prospects. He could follow a similar trajectory to what Cayden Primeau has in the organization.
Voting
The netminder plateaued after a somewhat decent season as the starter in Laval, reaching the same position as last year in the Top 25 Under 25. I personally had him two ranks higher at 22.
T25U25 History
| 2023: #24 | 2022: #28 | 2021: #33 | 2020: #39 |
Dobeš had been moving up the list in recent years despite the pool of eligible players continuing to grow. This year being his first year where he didn’t progress. With the influx of new talent between the pipes and a firmer idea of what Dobeš’s ceiling is, it’ll be tough for him to rise up the rankings in the coming years without a significant step forward.
History of #24
| Year | #24 |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Jakub Dobes |
| 2022 | Emil Heineman |
| 2021 | Cam Hillis |
| 2020 | Luke Tuch |
| 2019 | Joël Teasdale |
| 2018 | Rinat Valiev |
| 2017 | Josh Brook |
| 2016 | Ryan Johnston |
| 2015 | Darren Dietz |
| 2014 | Morgan Ellis |
| 2013 | Mac Bennett |
| 2012 | Steve Quailer |
| 2011 | Daniel Pribyl |
| 2010 | Brendan Gallagher |
Strengths
Even with an okay year for Dobeš, he still has a very intriguing toolkit that could see him outperform expectations. In his first professional season in Laval, he pulled himself out of a tough start and showed flashes of what made him such an interesting goaltending prospect.
He still had strong numbers considering he was behind a slightly weaker team than during his NCAA career. Laval wasn’t known to be a powerhouse of a defensive team last year, so whenever he started he had to play at the top of his talent to secure a win for Laval. He started the majority of games (51 of 72) for Laval, being the rock on which the team leaned.
One of the main things that will catch your eye with Dobeš is his size. At 6’4” and 201 pounds, he is a massive goaltender. He’s also one who plays aggressively, challenging shooters way out of his crease. He skates well and is quick and nimble. Good instincts and an understanding of the right moments to use his size let him present a stone wall to opponents. He shows good tracking vision to make sure he’s staying square to the play.
Weaknesses
Despite his size, body strength is still something the netminder needs to work on. He still relies heavily on his athleticism to carry him, foregoing sound technique. He’s an aggressive goalie who can cover up some of his deficiencies, but this type of goaltending won’t lead to consistent results in the pro games. You need a solid technique coupled with good reflexes and strong lateral movements.
Dobeš sometimes makes small mistakes, such as not getting to his post and transferring his backward momentum laterally. In the overall picture, it doesn’t look like much, but smaller mistakes tend to pile up and can become bad habits. He doesn’t have any glaring issues, but smaller decision-making errors could be costly at the NHL level. As long as he keeps polishing himself and refining his strong toolkit, he should have success at a pro.
Projection
Last year, things changed a lot for the Canadiens. What was once a barren depth chart for goaltenders is starting to have quite a few interesting options now. With Primeau solidifying his spot in the NHL, Fowler continuing on his great NCAA career, and Yevgeni Volohkin becoming a strong goalie in the MHL, the road forward to the NHL is becoming harder. There is more competition brewing for a spot between the pipes than previously imagined.
It tricky to faithfully project the ultimate landing spot for a goaltender like Dobeš; we saw that with Primeau over his seven years in this series. There is no sure way to know if a netminder will keep improving and succeeding in all professional challenges, or if one will stay stuck a level or two below the NHL.
We have seen plenty of good amateur goaltenders peak at the AHL level, unable to take that final step. The next year will be very helpful in determining which side the needle begins to tilt toward. If he keeps progressing, he may one day have an opportunity to establish himself as the next backup in Montreal.
Patrik Bexell discusses Jakub Dobeš with Marc-Antoine Levis, EOTP Goalie Expert.
1:00 – Jakub Dobes
14:15 – The impact of Fowler and the meaning for other goalies in the system.
