If there is one thing you can't have enough of in the NHL, it is depth. While the hope is your opening night lineup will be good enough to last the entire season, there are always injuries or underperformance that force you to make a change. It's essential to have depth everywhere, but the most crucial spot to have it is at the goaltender position. This is something the Montreal Canadiens addressed on Wednesday morning, signing Kevin Mandolese to a professional tryout deal. But what does Mandolese bring to the Canadiens, and does he have a real shot to make the roster?
What Kevin Mandolese brings to the Canadiens goaltending situation
For the majority of his career, Mandolese has been stuck in the AHL and ECHL. Last season, after being traded to the Avalanche, Mandolese spent the entire season with the Colorado Eagles. In 19 games with the Eagles, he had a save percentage of .903 and a goals against average of 2.87. While he spent most of his time in the minors, he has had a cup of coffee in the NHL. He appeared in three games for the Senators in 2022-23, registering a .916% save percentage and a 3.29 goals against average.
Although Mandolese has not done much, he still has some upside. He's a six-foot-four goalie, which is a good height for a netminder. The only concern scouts and analysts have is his strength. Many believe he needs to add some muscle to improve his blocking and stamina. He's also a goalie who doesn't let the moment get to him. There are plenty of moments in his career where he got the big block when the game mattered most. That's something you can't teach a goaltender and something teams love to see.
There is very little chance that Mandolese can crack the Canadiens' opening night roster. Barring any injuries, Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes should be the goalie tandem for 2025-26. So at best, he'll be a depth goaltender in the AHL, but even then, he has to fight for a spot. The Canadiens have Jacob Fowler, their top goalie prospect, set to start his first full season with Laval. They also signed Kaapo Kahkonen to be the third goalie and a potential challenge to Dobes for the backup spot.
Even with those players already on the roster, there is no harm in keeping Mandolese around for depth in Laval. While you ideally like to give Fowler as much playing time as possible, there are plenty of examples of teams successfully implementing a three-goalie rotation at the AHL level. Plus, he's only 25 years old. There is still plenty of time for him to develop into a serviceable NHL goalie; he could be a late bloomer.
It's an uphill battle for Mandolese, but if he shows off in camp, the Canadiens can't let him go somewhere else. He could be a diamond in the rough they're looking for.