Jakub Dobes had a spectacular run in the playoffs, and the Montreal Canadiens saw enough to give him a three-year contract extension this summer. While he should be the starter entering the season, he might have to look over his shoulder with Jacob Fowler on the team.
Fowler was a third-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Draft and made his NHL debut this past season. He would play in 17 games with a 9-6-2 record, a save percentage of .908, and a goals against average of 2.43.
Recently, Scott Wheeler with The Athletic put together his Top 20 goalie prospects this summer and had Jacob Fowler as the best goalie prospect in the NHL. Wheeler was obviously very high on Fowler and wrote about the Canadiens' goalie.
"He’s the kind of goalie who, if he can see a shot and move to it, is going to stop it. Fowler has so many clear tools: great hands, an ability to take space away through square angles and sound positioning, high-end tracking/reads, excellent rebound control, legitimate power/movement and a knack for making huge pad saves and stopping high-danger chances. He rarely gets beaten through the body or frozen. He doesn’t show holes in the net and has the reflexes to get a piece of (if not outright save) pucks when he does. He has a legitimate shot to be a top NHL goaltender, and there aren’t many goalies his age (or even a little older) I’m comfortable saying that about."
Montreal Canadiens need to trade Samuel Montembeault to clear a path for Jacob Fowler
After Brendan Gallagher, it felt like an almost certainty that the Montreal Canadiens would trade Samuel Montembeault. The veteran goalie lost his job to Dobes during the season and dropped all the way to the third goalie on the roster, with Fowler serving as the backup.
When looking ahead to this season, the Canadiens have to make it clear that Dobes and Fowler is the future. They need to make sure Fowler gets enough games to continue develop in Montreal and not go extended stretches without getting in the game.
The only way that is possible is by moving Montembeault, who is in the final year of his contract. The fact that there are so many teams that need goalies means this feels like it should be an easy deal to get done. It's possible a trade still could happen closer to training camp, and they need to make it clear that Fowler is a big part of their future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google