Evaluating Jacob Fowler’s Long Term Impact With The Canadiens

Jacob Fowler’s Weaknesses

The weaknesses are few and far between, but like every other young goaltender, there are aspects of Fowler’s play that can stand to be improved. Since he rarely loses, we will take a look at the two last losses to see what type of goals are being scored against the Montreal Canadiens prospect.

Against UMass, Fowler allowed two goals, with one being a rebound goal following a high-danger save on a one-timer, while the second was an odd-man rush goal that included a screen.

There’s not much he could have done to stop either shot, however, you could argue his positioning was slightly off prior to the rush goal. It’s a recurring theme for Fowler. He does sit a little too far back in his net at times, giving players a little more net to aim at before shooting. It’s rare that he’s out of position during a rush, more than anything, it’s when he resets that the positioning gets a little funky.

The loss versus Boston University was a little more revealing.

Fowler, who is known as a big-game goaltender ever since he helped Youngstown capture the Clark Cup (USHL), and was named the most valuable player.

But he wasn’t at his best in the Beanpot final.

To be more accurate, he wasn’t at the level we’ve come to expect from him, but he was still pretty darn good, saving 41 of the 44 shots sent his way.

The first goal against was once again came during an odd-man rush, with Brandon Svoboda scoring short side. Fowler cheated a little, anticipating a pass because Svoboda was almost out of runway. Either way, it was a bad goal, one of the very few he’s allowed this year.

The second goal against was courtesy of Lane’s brother, Cole Hutson, featuring a clean shot while Fowler was sitting too far back in his net.

The third was via Cole Eiserman, and it came shortly after Boston College coughed up the puck in their own end. Fowler was beat five hole, on the backhand, by a highly-talented player, and while I’d argue the biggest issue was the defenders handing a breakaway to Eiserman, Fowler can do  better in those situations. An active could have helped, but there was no poke check to be found.

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

I firmly believe there’s little to no advantage in rushing a goaltender. When it comes to goalie development, the slow cooker method rarely backfires.

Just set it, and forget it.

But I’m not convinced an additional year in the NCAA would do much good for Fowler’s development. At this point, the best resource for Fowler would be a team of professional development coaches, so that he improve on the small details that will one day allow him to become a starter in the NHL.

Spending two or three years in Laval will help him adapt his body to the rigours of a professional hockey season, while also providing him with crucial experience as he takes the biggest step in his career.

I’m sure a few fans will disagree with the idea that Fowler needs ‘two or three years in Laval’ and I can respect that position, but again, there’s absolutely no rush to push Fowler into the NHL. Samuel Montembeault is signed until 2026-27, whereas Jakub Dobes is on the last year of his entry-level contract, but isn’t expected to command a significant raise this summer.

Simply put, it’s very difficult to overcook a prospect in the AHL, whereas there’s a long list of players who have struggled to adapt to life in the NHL. And until the Montreal Canadiens can guarantee a certain amount of ice time in Montreal, they’d  be wise to avoid going the Cayden Primeau development route.