Canadiens’ Fowler Is On Track To Contend For Calder Trophy

It wasn’t supposed to be that way. The plan was for Jacob Fowler to storm in and take the Montreal Canadiens’ starting job this year. Despite a good training camp, the Florida native was sent down to the Laval Rocket, a victim of the circumstances and the fact that he is in the second year of his ELC and doesn't need to clear waivers. Little did he know, though, that he would only have time to play two games with the Rocket before Samuel Montembeault got injured at practice on the eve of his first game of the season. His call-up came at a time when Jakub Dobes was having a crisis of confidence of sorts and not playing his best hockey, giving Fowler a golden opportunity, which he grabbed with both hands.

Since joining the Habs this season, Fowler has a 6-1-0 record, a 1.54 goals-against average (fourth among all goalies and second among masked men who have played at least five games), and a .942 save percentage (second among all netminders). Those are fantastic numbers, but a deeper look at his game with NHL Edge shows his season start is even more impressive.

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At 5-on-5, he has a .939 SV, the fourth-highest total in the league, which isn’t surprising given how confident the Canadiens are playing with the Florida native in net. It feels like the Habs believe they’ve got nothing to fear when he’s backstopping them. A looser team means a better team, even if the Sainte-Flanelle is currently playing without important players like Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov.

The Canadiens’ keeper leads the league in mid-range save percentage this year with an impressive .982 and ranks fourth in high-danger save percentage at .885 among goaltenders who have played at least six games this season. In his 46-save shutout against the St. Louis Blues, he saved an incredible 18 high-danger opportunities; that’s the most among all goaltenders in a single game this season.

The Habs penalty kill has been impressive of late, and Fowler is a big part of it. When the Tricolore is down a man, he has a .950 SV, fourth-best in the league.

Those are impressive numbers, and if the youngster stays the course, he will no doubt receive votes for the Calder Trophy. As things stand, Toronto Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna leads the rookies in scoring with 11 points in 15 games, but Boston Bruins’ James Hagen is hot on his tail with 10 points in 14 games, and two other players have nine points (Vegas Golden Knights’ Trevor Connelly and San Jose Sharks' Ivar Stenberg). McKenna isn’t running away with it.

In the year Lane Hutson won the Calder Trophy, he scored 66 points in 82 games, and the runner-up was goaltender Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Flames, who posted a 20-16-8 record, a 2.64 GAA, and a .910 SV. The last goaltender to win the Calder was Steve Masson in 2008-09, when he posted a 33-22-7 record, a 2.29 GAA, and a .916 SV. Fowler currently eclipses those stats, and he’s miles ahead of the other rookie netminders. The New York Rangers’ Dylan Garland ranks second in GAA (2.69) and SV (.899). Granted, it’s still early, but if nobody separates themselves from the lot among the skaters and Fowler holds the starting job in Montreal and leads the team to the playoffs, he’ll be a serious contender.

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