Should the Canadiens Trade Jacob Fowler?

What happens when a team develops two young goalies who both look like they could be the answer? That’s what might be happening right now in Montreal with Jacob Fowler.

The Fowler situation isn't really about whether Montreal should trade him. It's about the value of having a lot of goaltending talent at once. If Dobes establishes himself as a legitimate NHL starter, Fowler's value doesn't necessarily decrease. “In fact, his trade value could increase because Montreal would be holding a highly regarded young goalie it no longer desperately needs.

Related: Owen Beck Might Be Better Than Anyone Is Expecting

Is Fowler more valuable as a goalie or as a trade chip?

That creates a fascinating problem for Kent Hughes. Usually, a rebuilding team desperately wants to accumulate young talent. But Montreal is reaching the point where some of that young talent may become currency rather than simply something to keep. And that's where the top-six forward issue becomes interesting.

Montreal doesn't need to trade Fowler just because Dobes plays well. It could keep both and have one of the better young goaltending situations in the league. But if Hughes believes the Canadiens are ready to take another step and a legitimate top-six forward becomes available, Fowler could represent the kind of asset that gets a conversation started.

If the Canadiens fans are attached to Fowler, does that make a difference?

There's also something very human about this. Fans get attached to prospects before they've really done anything in the NHL. Fowler is one of those names. People have watched him dominate at other levels, read the prospect rankings, heard the hype and started imagining what he might become in Montreal. Trading him would feel like giving away the future.

But trading him wouldn't necessarily mean giving away the future. Sometimes the future is exactly what you have to trade to improve the present. That's the interesting secondary story here. Montreal may be moving from the stage where every promising young player is untouchable to the stage where Hughes has to decide which prospects will be Canadiens and which are valuable enough to help him build the Canadiens.

And that's a much harder decision than simply asking whether Jacob Fowler is a good goalie.

Related: Jacob Fowler's Goalie's Problem Is Being Ready Before Montreal Is