Jakub Dobes

This Season So Far

The 2026-27 season has not started. The empty row above is his, and both it and this paragraph fill in on their own from the morning after he first plays: what he has done, what it is worth against his own last season, and the run he is on when the two disagree.

Last Season

43 games, a .901 save percentage, a 2.78 goals-against average and a 29-10-4 record. The save percentage is ordinary; the record on a young team is not, and he clearly outplayed the incumbent to take the job.

The Physical Game

6-4 and he uses the size the way big goaltenders should — square, patient, and content to let shots hit him. He does not chase pucks with his hands or leave his feet early, which for a goaltender with 59 career games is unusually disciplined.

The weaknesses are the ones you would expect at this stage. His rebound control is inconsistent, and pucks that should die in his chest come back into the slot. He is beaten more often on the second and third chance than on the first, which is what a .901 looks like behind a team that gives up a lot of them.

Lateral movement is adequate rather than quick.

The Mental Game

The most encouraging part. He was thrown into a starting job on a young team in a market that scrutinises goaltenders more than any other, and there is no evidence of it affecting him. Bad goals do not compound.

The Intangibles

The 136th pick in 2020, which is roughly nowhere, and he has taken the position from a more established goaltender through 2 seasons of simply being better.

At 25 with a rookie behind him posting better numbers, this is not settled. But he has earned the first look, and nothing about his profile suggests he has peaked.