The Montreal Canadiens may need to start the season with three netminders on the roster and that wouldn't be an ideal situation.
We’ve already reached the middle of July, and Samuel Montembeault is still a member of the Montreal Canadiens. As things stand, it is conceivable that for a second year in a row, the Canadiens will have three NHL-caliber goaltenders on their payroll.
Last season, Montembeault’s struggles led to Jacob Fowler being called up much earlier than expected, and the Melbourne, Florida native proved that he was up to the task and didn’t look out of place for a second. He may just be 21 years old, but he manned the crease like a seasoned vet and quickly earned his teammates’ trust. In 17 games, he posted a 9-6-2 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, and picked up a shutout along the way.
Meanwhile, the man who was a seasoned vet had only a 10-8-4 record, a 3.43 GAA, and an .872 SV. As for Jakub Dobes, he was in net for most of the Canadiens’ wins and ended the year with a 29-10-4 record, a 2.78 GAA, and a .901 SV. While he did struggle at one stage in the season when he couldn’t seem to win over the coaching staff’s trust, he blossomed when Montembeault was cast aside, and by the time the playoffs came around, he was the undisputed number one choice.
Earlier this month, the Canadiens rewarded the Czech netminder with a three-year contract extension which has a $5,357,575 AAV. That was a clear endorsement of the 25-year-old’s work, and while a contract doesn’t guarantee playing time, as Dobes said himself in his media availability, it at the very least lets him know that he’s got the inside lane right now.
Having three goalies on the roster is far from an ideal situation, especially when two of them are 25 or younger. At that age, goaltenders need to see a lot of action to develop properly, and GM Kent Hughes has been clear: if Fowler stays with the big club this season, he will need to see plenty of action.
The days of the clear-cut number one choice in net seem to be a thing of the past. Nowadays, it seems like teams prefer to bet on a two-goalie system, which allows them to avoid overworking their top guy while also providing the backup with enough playing time.
As things stand, the Canadiens are in win mode; the results matter. They are no longer in rebuilding mode, with the focus being almost exclusively on development. Given Montembeault’s performance last season, one has to wonder whether he could earn the team’s trust back if he were to spend the season in Montreal.
As good a teammate as the Quebecer is, the Canadiens cannot afford another season of uncertainty in net. Time and time again last season, he was beaten on his first shot, putting the team in a hole straight from the start. It wasn’t surprising that eventually, his teammates started to play nervously in front of him.
Of course, given how young Fowler is, he could still be assigned to the AHL for the season and get plenty of ice time even if it’s at a lower level. Does he need more time there, though? There are no set rules regarding the time netminders spend in the AHL. Dobes played 65 AHL games before becoming a regular with the Canadiens after Cayden Primeau’s collapse. Carey Price only skated in 12 AHL games before becoming a regular in the NHL. Andrei Vasilevskiy only patrolled the Syracuse Crunch’s crease for 37 games. Jake Oettinger saw 54 AHL games, while Dustin Wolf saw 138 before becoming the man in Calgary.
Fowler has only played 30 games with the Rocket and another eight in the AHL playoffs. Granted, that’s not a lot, but it may just be enough. Granted, Fowler must see a lot of action, but his development may well be better served in the NHL, and, statistically speaking, his presence in Montreal would give the Habs better odds of winning.
However, should the Canadiens decide to go with a Dobes-Fowler tandem and try to send Montembeault down to the AHL, he would no doubt be picked up on waivers, and it’s hard to imagine the Habs’ brass being willing to lose that kind of asset for nothing. While a lot has been said about the Canadiens’ need to improve their top six, it may be an even bigger need to find Montembeault a new home.
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