3 questions facing Montreal Canadiens

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Montreal Canadiens.

1. Can Jakub Dobes be a No. 1 goalie for a full season?

The Canadiens certainly think so after what he accomplished last season. 

The 25-year-old emerged as the No. 1 goalie after beginning last season as the backup to Sam Montembeault, helped the Canadiens into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and then had a .908 save percentage while starting all 19 postseason games. He signed a three-year, $16.05 million contract (average annual value of $5.35 million) on July 2 that starts next season.

Dobes also understands that his contract does not guarantee him playing time, and he'll still be competing for starts with Montembeault and Jacob Fowler, his backup during the playoffs.

"I still have to prove myself every day," Dobes said. "... I'm excited. I will keep my routine and everything I do the same. Not going to change what I do. I'm just excited to play with the same group and also have Marco (Marciano, goalie coach) for a full year. I feel like with him I can grow even more. I feel like I'm in good shape, I'm working hard throughout the summer. I'm excited to start and we'll go from there."

2. Can Kirby Dach stay healthy?

A litany of injuries have plagued Dach during his four seasons with the Canadiens, including a broken foot and an upper-body injury that limited him to 37 games last season, the fourth straight season he played no more than 58 games. He said the mental grind has been as tough as the physical, but he's tried to stay positive.

"It's been a long couple of years," Dach said. "The surgeries and the injuries, it adds up. Mentally it wears on you and physically is another thing. But for me, I just kept trying to have the same attitude coming to the rink every day and making sure that I was doing everything I needed to do to be in the lineup."

He was healthy during the playoffs, with five points (four goals, one assist) while averaging 10:28 of ice time in 19 games. He signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract July 16, and is trying to keep his focus on the potential of finally having a healthy season.

"For me, I never really lost confidence in myself," he said. "I know better now who I am as a person and a player. ... For me, it's about finding the positives and focusing on those and being a good teammate to the guys here."​

3. Who plays second-line center?

Nick Suzuki had the first 100-point season (101) by a Canadiens player in 40 years (Mats Naslund, 110 in 1985-86) and was the center on one of the best No. 1 lines in the NHL with Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, but Montreal's center depth behind Suzuki is suspect.

Dach would be the ideal candidate, but his injury history makes it difficult to depend on him. Though Oliver Kapanen played there for long stretches last season and was third among rookies with 22 goals, his play fell off late in the season and he was scratched for 12 of 19 playoff games. Jake Evans had that spot during the postseason but he's likely better suited for a checking role.

With most of the same group returning this season, improvement will have to come internally with Dach, Kapanen, Evans or possibly a prospect like Owen Beck. The 22-year-old scored one goal in 15 NHL games and had 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 58 games for Laval of the American Hockey League last season.