Canadiens: Options For The Habs Goalie Of The Future

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The Montreal Canadiens had long been spoiled with an elite starting goaltender. Carey Price manned the crease for years and did so with his trademark calm, poised demeanour. But his career has seemingly come to a close since bowing out at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Without an established number-one goaltender patrolling the crease, it begs the question, who will be the next great Canadiens goaltender? Or, at the very least, who will be the next long-term starter that can help the team reach the postseason and win some playoff games?

Montembeault has done his best, and at this juncture seems to be the best bet to hold the role for the foreseeable future. But is he really a long term starting goalie of a rebuilt team, or just a stopgap option for a rebuilding team? His .901 save percentage from last season was a career high, so the 26 year old has a long way to go before he locks himself in as the starter of the future. He also needs a new contract a year from now, so he is not guaranteed to be here beyond the 2023-24 season.

Cayden Primeau is yet to prove that he can be a reliable netminder at the pro level. He has had ups and downs in the AHL but has not performed well in his several chances in the NHL.

There are a couple of prospects selected in recent drafts, that are options. Goaltending is a finicky position at the best of times, as we recently saw Jacob Markstrom go from Vezina finalist to struggling overpaid goaltender in one offseason.

So, which prospects stands out, and who has the poise and highest potential to take the reigns in the future and hold such a crucial role?

Here are three options for the Canadiens’ potential number-one starter of the future.

Jakub Dobes:

Dobes has played for Ohio State since being selected, and has put up respectable numbers. He was selected with the 136th-overall pick, during the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and has played 75 NCAA games since, posting a 42-28-5 record, with a 2.29 GAA and .926 SV%. He signed his Entry-Level Contract on March 31, 2023, which is a two-year pact, and will see him playing in the American Hockey League with the Laval Rocket starting next season.

Dobes is a big goaltender, and while he is on this list, he isn’t without faults. A season or two in Laval at minimum is certainly needed for Dobes to polish his game at the professional level. He has the tools and potential to be a great pro, but it will be largely predicated on how well he progresses. At 22 years old he is coming along nicely; as goalies are generally late bloomers, so betting on Dobes just before he enters his prime years could be of interest, but that jump from Junior or college to the pro level can be a tough transition for some goaltenders. The upcoming season will tell us a lot about Dobes future in the organization.

Jacob Fowler:

Fowler was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft, as the first of three goaltenders drafted during day two of the annual event. The Canadiens put an onus on goaltending, and rightfully so. Without a clear number-one starter, the time to stock up the cupboard was present, and Fowler looks to be a high-potential option to hold down the crease in the future. If all things go right, and Fowler’s play emulates his passion to play in front of the Centre Bell faithful, then the Habs could be in an enviable position.

Fowler had a brilliant season in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms, posting a 27-9-3 record, with a 2.21 G.A.A and .921 SV% and five shutouts. He then followed up his impressive regular season, showing his poise and maturity posting a 8-1-0 record, including one shutout on-route to a Clark Cup Championship win. So, while he is still growing and rounding out his game, he has proven that the championship pedigree is there, and he will hone his craft in the NCAA with Boston College where he could quickly develop a rivalry with fellow prospect Lane Hutson who is at Boston University.

Jan 12, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Nashville Predators goalie Yaroslav Askarov against the Montreal Canadiens. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports /

Trade Route

Aside from Fowler and Dobes, the Canadiens are relatively thin in their goaltending prospect pool. Montembeault and Jake Allen will split duties in the crease for the foreseeable future, and Montembeault will be given every opportunity to run with the starting role. While he is young, he could be a free agent in a year, and it’s never too early to start developing another goalie or two.

Because of the lack of legitimate NHL-caliber goaltending depth, an interesting option to explore could be the trade market. The rest of the Canadiens’ prospect pool is quite loaded at all positions, and that could provide a good opportunity to pry a goaltending prospect out of another NHL system via trade.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers look to be set with their goaltending, as Bobrovsky proved he can still perform at an elite level and his new backup Anthony Stolarz can provide a nice one-two punch. They are both aging, but the Canadiens could possibly add a goalie, a draft selection and one of the Canadiens’ intriguing forward prospects in exchange for Spencer Knight. Knight has dealt with his own personal issues, but if he could hone some of the magic from his time with Cole Caufield at the USNTDP, he could be a very interesting option.

Nashville Predators

After Pekka Rinne retired, the Predators were confident in their goaltending going forward; as Juuse Saros provided the perfect heir-apparent to the throne. With both Saros and Kevin Lankinen, the Predators have a nice duo of NHL goalies, both of which are still in their primes at 28 years old.

The Predators do have a nice piece developing down in the American League with the Milwaukee Admirals. Yaroslav Askarov is young, athletic, and competitive, and he has represented his home country, Russia on several occasions. He has just one professional season under his belt in North America, but should Kent Hughes prove able to acquire his services, he just might be a very long term option in goal.

All the suggestions are merely hypothetical, but it’s fascinating to see the different options available to Kent Hughes.

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