THE APEX TIMES
Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes gets NHL Network’s Top 10 goalie-list question, but not an answer yet
With NHL Network preparing to publish its Top 10 goalies, a new debate is emerging around whether Montreal Canadiens prospect Jakub Dobes has done enough to break into the conversation.
NHL Network has already released its latest position-by-position ranking lists for skaters, and that timing is now shaping the goalie discussion around Montreal. The outlet has put out a top-20 wingers list and a top-20 defensemen list, and the Canadiens have visible representation there. Cole Caufield is listed ninth among wingers, while Lane Hutson is sixth among defensemen.
The next step for NHL Network is a top-10 goalies list, scheduled for release on Sunday night. That creates the central question raised by Yahoo Sports: should Jakub Dobes be included “right now,” or is he still one step behind the goalies who would normally define the upper tier in a league-wide ranking?
Yahoo’s argument is framed as a matter of readiness and timing, not merely potential. In the piece, the author notes that the Canadiens have other goalie-related context, but suggests that Samuel Montembeault is, at least for this particular exercise, “obviously as far away from the list as a goaltender could be.” The takeaway is less about declaring a permanent ceiling and more about how a ranking can separate established starters from the next group of rising options.
Dobes, on the other hand, is presented as the more interesting case for Montreal fans because he is the organization’s name associated with the next wave of goaltending. Yahoo’s question does not claim Dobes has already earned a spot in the top ten. Instead, it is built around whether his most recent body of work is enough to “crack” the list once the outlet finally publishes it.
This type of NHL Network ranking is also worth viewing as a spotlight on narrative and track record at a league level. Even when a player is not yet an everyday household name across all markets, the list can reflect how voters and editors weigh factors like consistency, standout performances, and how quickly a goalie profile appears to translate into NHL impact. For Montreal, that means the Dobes question is not just about one projection, it is about whether the Canadiens’ goalie pipeline is being viewed as close to NHL relevance.
What to watch next is straightforward: when NHL Network releases its Top 10 goalies list, it will settle whether Dobes is among the ten at this moment. If he is included, the ranking can accelerate attention around Montreal’s goaltending timeline. If he is not, the omission would imply he still needs more to push past the goalie group that the outlet considers currently ahead in established value.
Why It Matters
- The ranking indicates how quickly the Canadiens’ goalie prospects are gaining league-level recognition.
- For Montreal, a top-10 placement would reinforce the direction of the goaltending pipeline and the organization’s long-term roster planning.
- If Dobes is left off, it highlights how competitive NHL goalie evaluations can be when compared with established NHL starters.
Key Facts
- NHL Network has already released top-20 position lists for wingers and defensemen.
- Montreal Canadiens representation on those lists includes Cole Caufield (ninth among wingers) and Lane Hutson (sixth among defensemen).
- NHL Network is scheduled to release a top-10 goalies list on Sunday night.
- Yahoo Sports raises the question of whether Canadiens prospect Jakub Dobes should be on that top-10 goalie list “right now.”
- In Yahoo’s framing, Samuel Montembeault is described as being far from the top-10 goalie-list idea for this specific ranking exercise.