The Montreal Canadiens are 10th in goals per game and have the league’s fourth-best power play. And yet, 29 games into the season, they sit outside a playoff spot and have a minus-12 goal differential that is second-worst in the Eastern Conference (ahead of only Buffalo).
The Habs allow 27.2 shots against per game, which is 12th in the league and, according to Natural Stat Trick, they are 19th in expected goals against per 60 minutes of play in all situations.
At the centre of the team’s struggle to consistently string wins together and create some separation in a tight Atlantic Division has been the goaltending.
Samuel Montembeault, Team Canada’s third-stringer at last season’s 4 Nations Face-Off, has all but played himself off the Olympic team. Out of 80 NHL goalies this season, the 29-year-old ranks 77th in goals saved above expected. And Jakub Dobes, a 24-year-old who played 30 games split between the AHL and NHL last season, started red-hot in October, when he posted a .930 save percentage in his first six starts, but has allowed 38 goals in 11 appearances since.
In an effort to shake things up, to give those two a break and try something different, Montreal called up 21-year-old Jacob Fowler from AHL Laval soon after Tuesday night’s 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay. One of the best goalie prospects in all of hockey, Fowler is among the AHL leaders in every major goalie stat and has led the Rocket to first place in their division.
While the original plan might have been for Fowler to spend all season developing with Laval, this situation called for Plan B. Fowler will make his NHL debut Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
So what should Habs fans expect? How prepared is Fowler for the spotlight? Will this be a short-term chance for him to get NHL experience, or is there a chance he could play well enough to hang on to a full-time roster spot?
For that analysis, we turn to our scout Jason Bukala, who has been tracking Fowler’s development for years.
SCOUT’S ANALYSIS
Montreal hasn’t been getting consistent goaltending or timely saves from either Montembeault (5-6-1 / 3.65 GAA / .857 SV%) or Jakub Dobes (10-5-2 / 3.15 GAA / .887 SV%) at all this season, so it was only a matter of time until they recalled Fowler.
Fowler won the Mike Richter Award last season, given to the top goalie in all of NCAA hockey, after he finished his sophomore year with a 25-7-2 record, 1.63 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
That success has continued in his first season of pro hockey, too. His 10-5 record, combined with a 2.09 GAA and .919 save percentage indicate he has transitioned nicely after an outstanding two seasons playing for Boston College.
Here’s my game report on Fowler after his last NCAA game in the spring versus Denver:
“Fowler looks poised to sign his entry-level contract with Montreal after completing his sophomore season at BC. He’s a finalist for the Mike Richter award (top goalie in the NCAA) and a proven winner at every level he’s competed. Now listed at six-foot-two, 214 pounds. Tracks play very well. Fluid moving side to side. Rarely outside his posts. Excellent overall crease composure. Low panic threshold. Reads, reacts, and finds puck in traffic. Big in the butterfly. Sits tall. Absorbs pucks. Athletic. Quick. Great feet. Potential No. 1 NHL goalie.”
Fast forward to my takeaways after viewing Fowler at the prospects challenge in September, before the start of Montreal’s main training camp:
“Fowler is entering his first full season of pro hockey after a decorated career at Boston College and a small sample size of games with Laval last spring. He’s one of the top goaltending prospects in all of hockey and Montreal’s future No. 1 goaltender. He appears to be in good shape. Not much has changed with his game. Big in the net. Agile. Quick. Outstanding feet. Tracks plays on time. Uses his size to his advantage. Sits tall in his butterfly, taking away the top of the net in the process. Battles. Only a matter of time before he’s in the NHL. Looks ready now.”
I’m a fan of Fowler’s game. He’s won at every level. Before he arrived at Boston College, he was coming off two seasons playing for Youngstown in the USHL and posting 2.18 and 2.28 goals-against averages along with .927 and .921 save percentages. He was named the USHL’s goalie of the year in 2022-23 and won the Clark Cup MVP as his team was crowned champions.
And, of course, he won world junior gold in 2024.
But I have to admit there was a time I was concerned about his fitness and commitment off the ice. He’s an elite athlete who has carried some extra weight in the past, but is now in the best shape of his career and on the cusp of his first NHL start with the Canadiens.
Montreal has done a terrific job drafting and developing prospects. Getting a goaltender like Fowler in the third round (69th overall in 2023) has potential to become one of the steals of that draft class. Boston-based Canadiens scout Billy Ryan tracked Fowler for years and battled for him to be drafted by the Habs. It’s not too often a scout is recognized by media, but Ryan certainly deserves it for getting Fowler selected.
Fowler might not win Montreal’s net for the rest of the season, and it’s important to remember he’s still just 21, so he’s a prospect. Then again, given his track record and ability, it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays well enough to win over the coach and management.
He’s definitely up for the challenge.
