The Wraparound takes a look at the Montreal Canadiens' goaltending issues. Jacob Fowler is the Canadiens goaltender of the future. That future could be in two years to play in the NHL or as many as 3-4 years. It all depends on Montreal’s development plan for the talented netminder. Going into his last game against Providence, he had four shutouts. Well, he now has five, and that’s in just 19 games. In 2022-23, his save percentage was .921. Then, last season with Boston College, it was .926. Now, it's .932! I point this out to show that it’s not just a function of being on BC. His save percentage has been growing for years, and now it’s almost absurd in NCAA circles. Fowler [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/top-goaltender-praises-canadiens] is 14-3-1 this season. His goals-against average is a stingy 1.74. Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko has the record for shutouts with 10. Seems like Fowler has a great chance to tie or break that record. Either way, he’s on the right path. Spencer Knight has the save percentage record. He had a .937 in 2020-21. Again, Fowler has a chance to break this school record and he will surely be in the running for the Richter Award. He will probably be the odds on favorite. Fowler is having a season for the ages. If he wins a National Championship, he will turn professional. Either way, he can play in the AHL right away but it’s possible he goes back to BC for one more season. A lot will depend on the opportunity he feels he will get in Montreal in the future.
