The Montreal Canadiens’ goaltending situation has been the talk of the town as the new season unfolds, with fans and analysts alike searching for clues about who will truly anchor the net. Head coach Martin St-Louis, facing mounting questions and scrutiny, finally stepped up to the podium to address the swirling speculation surrounding Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes. But rather than providing a simple answer, St-Louis offered a nuanced perspective that hints at a much deeper strategy behind the scenes.

As Montembeault battles through a tough start and Dobes quietly impresses, the Canadiens’ approach to their crease is evolving in ways few could have predicted. Is there a clear number one goalie in Montreal, or is the team quietly embracing a new philosophy? St-Louis’s comments reveal a shift that could redefine how the franchise manages its most critical position—not just for this season, but for years to come.

What does this mean for Montembeault’s future and Dobes’s potential breakout? Could this be the beginning of a goalie tandem era in Montreal? Dive into the full story to uncover the real implications of St-Louis’s decision, the behind-the-scenes dynamics, and what fans should expect as the season progresses.

Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis during press conference. Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes (left)

Photo credit: HabsFanatics / NHL

The head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Martin St-Louis, answered reporters’ questions regarding Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes a little earlier.

Of course, let’s remember that Montembeault is having a more difficult start to the season (save percentage of 0.857) in four starts, so it was logical to ask the question at this point.

Regarding the much-discussed identity of his number-one goaltender, Martin St-Louis finally agreed to make a decision on the matter and explain his reasoning for the day.

Martin St-Louis settles the question and explains his decision

When asked by reporters about the topic of the Canadiens’ number-one goaltender, here’s what the head coach had to say.

“We’re comfortable with our two goalies,” said Martin St-Louis, wanting to nip any hint of controversy in the bud.

“There will always be internal competition, no matter the position.”

– Martin St-Louis

St-Louis continued:

“We have two good goalies.

Will they both be at their best all year?

No,” he went on.

“So you manage that – you manage their workload and performances.

For now, Dobes seems more in his element.

However, there’s nothing to say that he could maintain the same effectiveness if he were asked to tend the net two games out of three.

It’s a long season – you never know when an injury might happen,” said St-Louis.

“It’s even important to have a third [goaltender within the organization]. I love the way we’re positioned on that front.”

– Martin St-Louis Via TVA Sports

Martin St-Louis spoke a lot about balance and workload management, but I especially take away one thing from his statements and his press conference…

You can really sense that the Montreal Canadiens now consider themselves to have a “1A” goalie and a “1B” goalie, rather than one who is clearly number 1 and another who is clearly number 2.

Meanwhile, Samuel Montembeault is putting in the effort to regain his confidence. After a challenging start to the season, he was seen working hard in Brossard.

Already, that’s quite a turnaround compared to what we saw last season – especially at the beginning of the year.