Kent Hughes would give up Jakub Dobes for Connor McDavid, according to insider

Kent Hughes and the Canadiens would let Jakub Dobes go in a Connor McDavid trade, according to Renaud Lavoie on Saturday night.

Jacob Fowler isn't part of that conversation. Dobes is, if the Oilers insist on having him in any package.

The timing couldn't be worse for the 25-year-old netminder. He's carrying a .856 save percentage this season, with one win in three games played.

And Montreal heads into tonight's home game against Detroit on a three-game losing streak, sitting at 1-2-1.

The Canadiens are bleeding 4.8 goals against per game. Dobes isn't the only reason, but nobody in the crease is bailing out the blue line either.

So why would Edmonton want him? Look at its own crease.

Tristan Jarry owns a .739 save percentage and is still chasing his first win after three appearances.

Oilers goaltending mess turns a cheap Canadiens goalie into currency

Devon Levi has been better on paper, with three wins and a .863 mark. Most contenders would still be quietly shopping for an upgrade.

The Oilers are 3-0-1 anyway. Connor McDavid has a lot to do with that.

He's piled up 12 points in four games with a +11 rating, which explains how Mike Babcock's group keeps winning nights its goalies would rather forget.

Edmonton right now is a five-star restaurant with a leaky roof. The food is spectacular, but everyone keeps glancing at the ceiling.

That's where Dobes fits. His $965,000 cap hit hands Stan Bowman a young goalie who barely dents the books.

The contract is the other selling point. His no-trade protection doesn't kick in until 2028, so Montreal can move him freely before then.

Samuel Montembeault would be the easier goalie to part with. But he's sidelined with a lower-body injury, and a $3,150,000 cap hit doesn't scream asset.

Fowler is the one Hughes won't touch. The 21-year-old has played once, posting a .833, but the front office views him as the long-term answer in net.

Here's where I land. If Edmonton ever puts McDavid on the market and the ask starts with Dobes, Hughes should say yes before the phone call ends.

You don't haggle over a mid-rotation goalie when the best player on the planet is on the other end of the line.

Any deal like this is likely a summer story, which buys Montreal months to find out whether Fowler can actually carry a crease.

In the meantime, the two clubs meet Dec. 14 in Montreal and again Jan. 30 in Edmonton.

Dobes now plays every game with an audience in two cities. Whether that sharpens him or sinks him is a question nobody in Montreal can answer yet.

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