Habs Daily: Dobes Call-Up, Primeau Implications, Demidov

Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Friday.

Montreal Canadiens News

The Habs made some waves by calling-up 23-year-old goaltender Jakub Dobes from the Laval Rocket. Dobes has a 9-3-1 record this season in the AHL, including a 2.44 goals against average, and a .910 save percentage. The decision seems to be putting an end to the Cayden Primeau experiment in Montreal, which featured some questionable goaltending, but more importantly, an absolutely terrible development plan. The lack of foresight from the previous management group in regard to Primeau is worth keeping in mind as Dobes makes his NHL debut. It’s also a good lesson to remember as the team plans Jacob Fowler’s future. [Canadiens Talk: Impact Of Jakub Dobes Call-Up, Primeau, Fowler]

A promotion for Dobes also means it’s time for a new paint job!

JAKUB DOBES @CanadiensMTL 2024-25 paint job!!
A realistic wolf on top of Jakub’s mask,
with a winter ice sculpted theme! 🥶

Peinture des Canadiens de Montréal pour Jakub Dobes, 2024-25! 🔵⚪️🔴
Un loup realiste dans un décor glacial de sculptures sur neige.
📸 Sébastien Gervais pic.twitter.com/rJ30ynopDG

— Sylvie Marsolais & Alexandre Mathys (@Sylabrush) December 27, 2024

ICYMI: Here’s an article detailing all the missteps the Montreal Canadiens took while destroying Primeau’s confidence. [Canadiens Goalie Primeau Perfect Example Of Poor Development]

In yet another shocking result, top prospect Ivan Demidov has maintained his improved scoring rate while receiving reasonable ice time for a highly talented forward. He did not, however, manage to score much when he was being given five or six minutes TOI on the fourth line.

It’s one of those situations that simply won’t be understood, even if we put our best scientists on the case.

It’s a 4-game goal streak for Ivan Demidov! His 10th goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/O5wuYMLK3S

— KHL (@khl_eng) December 27, 2024

Demidov’s coach continues to offer the most confusing and illogical quotes. Even though the 19-year-old is playing well now that he’s receiving slightly more ice time, Roman Rotenberg is still using the stick rather than the carrot to motivate, saying “I’m not going to praise him, because if you praise him, he will wear the crown.”

I’m sure there are some comments lost in translation, and there’s always something to be said about keeping players on an even keel, but Demidov is far from an arrogant young man. He’s simply doing everything asked of him by a coach that has absolutely no issue taking credit for his hard work. The same coach is withholding positive reinforcements, putting his lack of coaching prowess on full display. Given how Rotenberg got his job in the first place (without any hockey experience), his attitude is not surprising.

Demidov should end-up signing his entry-level contract this summer, which means the Canadiens will then have the authority to get him as far away from SKA as possible.  [MatchTV.RU]

After beating Finland 4-0 at the World Junior Championship, Canada lost 3-2 in the shootout to Latvia. Linards Feldbergs was excellent between the pipes for Latvia, and we don’t want to take any credit away from what is surely a well-deserved highlight of his young career, but the loss is a great reminder that Canada went full galaxy brain when assembling their lineup, leaving a bevy of talented players at home, including Habs prospect Michael Hage. That being said, Hage was far from the biggest omission by Hockey Canada, which has a history confusing decisions when it comes to assembling lineups.

Regardless, full marks to Latvia for the fantastic underdog win. They deserve to be proud about their effort, and it’ll surely be a great story they can tell their friends and family for the foreseeable future.

The reaction of 🇱🇻 goalie Linards Feldbergs was PRICELESS. pic.twitter.com/lQmlv3bQyk

— Nathan “Grav” Murdock (@NathanGraviteh) December 28, 2024

ICYMI: Even with just one Canadiens prospect playing at the World Juniors, there are a few players worth monitoring, as the Habs are likely to be in the mix for a top-10 pick at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. Prospects such as Matthew Schaefer (Canada), Porter Martone (Canada), James Hagen (USA), Logan Hensler (USA), and Victor Eklund (Sweden) are set to playing important roles during the tournament.  [Potential Canadiens Draft Picks To Watch At World Juniors]

Admittedly, I did not get a chance to watch the game, as I was busy playing hockey and setting rabbit snares with my godson at the farm, but the Rocket dropped their first game without Dobes, a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Syracuse Crunch. Tyler Wotherspoon scored Laval’s lone goal, assisted by Joshua Roy and Rafael Harvey-Pinard. [AHL]