Can Jacob Fowler become the future of the Montreal Canadiens’ crease?

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

When Jacob Fowler skated onto the ice for the first game of the World Junior Summer Showcase on July 29, people noticed.

The last time anyone saw him on the ice, he was throwing his plain white mask on to the ice after winning the Clark Cup. But here he was with the United States, donning a totally new look. He had a blue and gold Iron Man-themed mask, with white, maroon and yellow pads to match his new team, the Boston College Eagles.

“The first ever mask I had, it was an Iron Man mask, and I had white ever since,” Fowler said with a smile. “So when I got the opportunity to do a custom one here, I did Iron Man again.”

Fowler wouldn’t call himself a comic book fan, but that he just loved the design. If you were a goalie growing up in the 2000s, you probably remember the old Bauer 1440 goalie mask available at every hockey store.

But soon, could Fowler be tasked with saving the crease for the Montreal Canadiens? Have they found their long-term solution in the post-Carey Price era?

There are many reasons to get excited about Fowler if you’re a Habs fan. Drafted 69th overall in 2023, Fowler had one of the nicest seasons of any goalie prospect. Fowler went 27-9-3 with five shutouts and a .921 save percentage with Youngstown in the regular season.

The Phantoms looked ready for a successful playoff run, where Fowler saved his best hockey of the year. He went 8-1-0 with a shutout, a .952 save percentage and 1.36 goals against average, good to pick up the Clark Cup and playoff MVP honors. His numbers allowed him to take home the top goaltender award, something often reserved for older goaltenders.

Fowler was the sixth goaltender taken in 2023, and the first of three by Montreal. It was part of an inherent strategy by the team’s management to stack up on a position that didn’t have a high-end prospect beforehand. For now, Samuel Montembeault and Jake Allen should lead the team, and they also acquired Casey DeSmith from Pittsburgh in the Erik Karlsson trade. After that, Cayden Primeau doesn’t look like the answer, while Jakub Dobes is a solid depth piece to have in the organization.

In the short term, they have options. But down the road, they’ll need “the guy.” And many scouts think Fowler could be that based on his successful junior career. It’s still quite early, but he’ll have a chance to shine on a Boston College team that has Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith, Gabriel Perreault and Ryan Leonard, among others. And that should bode very well for his development.

“”He’s going to be a workhorse for BC,” a scout said. “And he deserves it. His body of work at Youngstown was among the best we’ve seen in years from a draft eligible USHL goaltender.”

College is a whole other animal from junior, but Fowler is ready for it. It’s always funny seeing a Canadiens prospect playing in Boston, but Fowler isn’t thinking too much about it. The only things that matter now to him is getting his feet wet with the Eagles and, hopefully, leading them to a national title.

“It’s all about doing the right things every single day that in a few years, I’m able to go up (to Montreal) and put my best foot forward,” the communications major said.

There’s the concern that maybe he had too many easy nights with a stout roster in front of him in Youngstown. But make no mistake about it: Fowler deserves a lot of credit for stealing wins throughout the season. He also was excellent en route to the United States winning the World Junior A Challenge in December. After a good run at the summer showcase earlier this month, Fowler should at least serve as backup to Trey Augustine at the 2024 world juniors – and maybe challenge for the starter’s gig in 2025.

Canadiens fans will be keeping a close eye on Fowler this year, especially since the on-ice product for the big club will be difficult to watch again. But that’s all part of the plan, and the Habs are in it for the long run. They’re rebuilding one piece at a time. Their current strength is on the blueline, but Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky is a solid starting point. The one major thing missing was a top-flight goaltender.

So, is Fowler the solution?

“He has the makings of an NHL starting goalie, no question about it,” a scout said prior to the NHL Draft. “The athletisicm, decent size, he’s athletic. He has a good head on his shoulders. His raw skills are there, and he’ll have good competition in college.”

Goalies can be an absolute mystery. Let’s not forgot all the early career struggles Price went through. If the fanbase had its way in 2010, Jaroslav Halak would have been the man going forward. But there’s a lot of hype surrounding Fowler’s future, and there’s no question he’s the top dog in the system right now.

So, patience is needed with Fowler. But he’s the best goaltending prospect the team has had in some time now. If all works out, this could be a huge get for a Canadiens team with a bustling prospect pipeline.

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Can Jacob Fowler become the future of the Montreal Canadiens’ crease?

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