'I think you trade Jakub Dobes.'

In fact, the Canadiens will have to try to finish the Olympic portion of the schedule strong. There are five games left before the break, including tonight’s game against Vegas and the Nordiques’ visit to Montreal on Thursday night.

After that, the club will play in Buffalo (Saturday), Minnesota (Monday), and Winnipeg (next Wednesday) before taking a break for a few weeks.

But one thing at a time: let’s talk about tonight’s game.

Jakub Dobes, as announced yesterday, will be in goal. It will be a big challenge for the player who has won his three games since returning from the Christmas break, but who is not alwayssolid in front ofhis net.

He has to win tonight.No matter what.

Because if he loses tonight’s game, we can all agree that it will once again highlight the Canadiens’ goaltending situation in the 2025-2026 season.

Because yes, it’s the talk of the town. Right now, everyone is trying to find solutions to see if it would be possible to revitalize the situation in front of the habs’ net… without necessarily having to call back Jacob Fowler to do so.

Nicolas Cloutier wrote an article evaluating the scenario of sending Dobes down during the Olympics to give him confidence—and ice time. It would be difficult to do, and I don’t think the habs will do it, but it’s possible.

Martin Biron, meanwhile, went elsewhere.

On Martin Lemay’s web show, the former NHL goaltender said that, in his opinion, the Montreal club should go after another goaltender in exchange for Dobes’ services.#Trade

His reasoning is that Samuel Montembeault needs to be backed up by a goalie who is at his level.In his opinion, Dobes is currently a step behind in terms of development.

Are you one of those who want to send Dobes elsewhere right now? Or do you believe the Canadiens should continue working with Dobes, knowing that Fowler is pushing?

But the question is also who to go after if the trade route is taken.

Biron suggested someone like Arvid Soderblom, who backs up Spencer Knight for the Chicago Blackhawks. Would the Hawks let him go?

Because right now, it’s difficult to find a goalie.

The Canadiens, like all other teams in Bettman’s league, play in a National Hockey League where it’s difficult to make moves in the middle of the season. That reality also applies to goalies.

There is another solution to help the goalies: promote Marco Marciano, who works with the Rocket.Éric Raymond has been criticized a lot lately.

The subject is talked about a lot. But sometimes, whether a coach is competent or not, a change of voice can do some good. Being a coach means getting hired to ultimately be fired— especially when other solutions aren’t obvious.

Overtime

Speaking of goalies.

I’m the first to say that the Canadiens’ goalies aren’t up to par this season and to try to see if there are solutions elsewhere in the NHL.

But I find it unfair to say that Samuel Montembeault was good when it didn’t matter and that he’s useless when the Habs need him.

The Québécois’s job was to grow with the club over the past few years—which he did—not to help the Canadiens get a better draft pick.

And last year, without him, the Canadiens didn’t make the playoffs.

This season is the first time he has regressed since arriving in town. You can criticize that (and rightly so), but not everything he has brought to the club since 2021. He hasn’t always been placed in easy situations in the past, but until this season, he delivered.