The Montreal Canadiens' future in net appears to be set and not just by one goaltender, even if he's the one topping Scott Wheeler's top 20 drafted goaltending prospects rankings.
A year ago, the Montreal Canadiens had two goaltending prospects in The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s top 20 drafted goaltending prospects: Jacob Fowler, who stood at number two, and Jakub Dobes, who was at number 19. Unsurprisingly, only Fowler remains on the list since Dobes is no longer eligible, now being an established NHL netminder.
Fowler still occupies the top spot in the rankings after a convincing rookie season at both the AHL and the NHL level. A third-round pick in 2023, Fowler is the most exciting goaltending prospect the Canadiens have had since Carey Price, even though the former face of the franchise was the fifth overall pick at the 2005 draft. There’s another Montreal goaltender who did just fine after being drafted in the third round: Patrick Roy. Saint-Patrick was taken 51st overall at the 1984 draft.
In his first complete pro season, Fowler featured in 27 AHL games and kept a 19-7-2 record with a 2.23 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and he blanked the opponent three times. The circumstances in Montreal led to his call-up in December, and while he was still very green, he did well with the big club. So much so that some wondered if Dobes might be sent to Laval once Samuel Montembeault was back in the fold, however, it was Fowler who was sent back down, only to come back up when Montembeault faltered again. The youngster was called back up in March and finished the season with the Habs, serving as Dobes's backup in the playoffs.
In his 17 NHL games, Fowler kept a 9-6-2 record with a 2.43 GAA, a .908 SV and one shutout. Those are the numbers of a goaltender who’s ready to play in the NHL, and if the Canadiens cannot move Montembeault this offseason, they very well may have a problem in net.
Wheeler raves about Wheeler in his rankings and has no qualms saying he has a legitimate shot at being a top NHL goaltender. The positioning, the rebound control, the angles, the reflexes- The Athletic’s journalist essentially says that Fowler has it all. While he mentions that the Canadiens and their fans are deservedly high on Dobes right now, he still believes that Fowler is the starter of the future, and you won’t find many people who are ready to argue with him on that one.
The three-year and $5.357M cap hit contract the Habs gave Dobes is a sign that they are not fixed on who will hold the main job long term; it leaves room for Fowler to take over if that’s what his performances eventually dictate or for Dobes to get another contract extension if he’s still in the driver’s seat in four years (his contract doesn’t kick in until the 2027-28 season) or to break the bank in free agency if he so desires.
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