Montreal Canadiens: Top 31 Prospects – #13 Jacob Fowler

Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we’re onto the 13th-ranked player, Jacob Fowler.

Selected in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft with the 69th overall pick, Jacob Fowler was the first of three goaltenders selected by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton at the Draft. Fowler is coming off a brilliant season in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms, and his sophomore season in the United States League was brilliant. Boasting a 27-9-3 record heading into the Clark Cup playoffs, the Melbourne, Florida., native elevated his game to another level en route to a Clark Cup championship.

Simply winning the league championship was impressive enough, but Fowler’s accolades didn’t end there. He was awarded the playoff MVP award, and his brilliant numbers were a large part of the team’s success. Fowler backstopped the Phantoms to an 8-1-0 playoff record and boasted 1.36 goals/against average and a .952 save percentage.

His regular season numbers were quite impressive as well, along with his strong record, he managed a .921 save percentage and 2.28 goals/against average. His lateral movement allows him to shut down shooters down low, and his 6’2″ frame serves the young goaltender well in blocking a lot of the net. And his poise aids him in catching pucks or steering them away with his blocker, and his strong positioning and smart stick round out a solid toolkit.

Widely considered one of the top goalies available in the ’23 Draft, along with Adam Gajan, Trey Augustine and Michael Hrabal, he isn’t as athletic, but his technical game is so strong. Because he isn’t extremely athletic he has to rely on his movements and strength, which have served him well. He isn’t a flashy goalie, but he is highly competitive, and just keeps pucks out of the net.

Fowler is committed to Boston College for the 2023-24 season, and the higher competition will be huge for his development. He isn’t likely to play professionally, for at least another two seasons, but he will be given the time he needs to marinate. He is the top goaltender in the Habs prospect pool, and while he doesn’t have a lot of competition, he still has the tools to be a number starter for the Canadiens down the road, and that’s why he is the Canadiens 13th ranked prospect.

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