How much longer can the Habs use the three-goalie system?

Habs seem as if they will continue to run the three-goalie situation for at least this week, but if Montembeault is solid again, then it may be time to send Jacob Fowler back to the Laval Rocket so that he can continue to develop his game and be better when he comes back to the NHL the next time around. Fowler is definitely looking good enough now, but for a goalie his age to be a regular in the NHL, it can be very risky for the netminder’s development, especially once teams get the book on how he plays. This is something that can sometimes affect a young goaltender’s confidence for some time.

For example, Carey Price had a very strong rookie season during the 2007-08 campaign, but the next season he started having some struggles that caused him to fall out of favour for a while. Of course, Price is an anomaly who was able to finally bounce back in the 2010-11 season, but there was a time where things looked like he was ruined by being brought up full-time too soon. The Habs can’t make that mistake with Fowler who is seen as the future of the team’s goaltending.

With that being said, Fowler could benefit from dominating in the AHL for some time before he takes a starting role and never looks back. He proved to everyone that he’s got what it takes to play in the NHL, and now it’s about going down to dominate and play a ton of games, in hopes of leading the Rocket to a long playoff run again. The main thing is that Fowler doesn’t lose the high level of confidence that he is playing with currently. As well as making sure he continuously gets playing time.

The truth is, with this three-goalie rotation, Fowler won’t get the proper time to develop by playing in the NHL right now. Fowler may be the best goaltender in the organization today, but he will only get better with more development and starts in the AHL. His first NHL stint has been a success so far, posting a 3-2-2 record with a .903 save percentage and 2.57 GAA. Once he eventually goes down to the Rocket, he should take his time in the NHL to dominate at a whole other level.

In terms of sending him back to Laval, he likely won’t have any hard feelings about it; it’s obvious it would be so he can have consistent starts rather than have to split the net with two other goalies. At the end of the day, a three-goalie situation only hurts the development of young goaltenders. Look at what happened with Cayden Primeau; the three-goalie system hindered his development at the end of his time in Montreal. Primeau should have been a good backup goalie at the very least, but his development was messed up because he didn’t get the reps he needed to progress in 2023-24.

Therefore, the Canadiens can’t continue the three-goalie experiment much longer. This week should play a very key role in what happens for the near future. If Montembeault plays well yet again, a decision to send either Dobes (unlikely) or Fowler back as soon as the end of the week.

Do you think the three-goalie experiment needs to end, or are you under the belief that Fowler is better off in a rotation at the NHL level regardless of Montembeault’s play?