The Montreal Canadiens are going through a difficult stretch, especially now that rookie Jakub Dobes has stopped masking some of the many roster issues.
Consequently, there have been calls from fans to promote Jacob Fowler, who is currently serving as the Laval Rocket’s starter.
He has put together the type of encouraging start to the season that has come to be expected from the young netminder.
Fowler, 20, currently has a 6-4-0 record, paired with a very respectable 2.11 goals against average, and an impressive .921 save percentage. To make matters even more interesting, he’s also secured three shutouts in just 10 games.
Jacob Fowler is out there making 5v3 saves look easy. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/1wiZf6kaBO
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 20, 2025
Simply put, things are going quite well for Fowler in Laval, while Montreal’s goaltenders have struggled to find their rhythm. Dobes was among the top goaltenders in the NHL for a stretch, but Martin St-Louis’ insistence on using Samuel Montembeault as his starter, despite evidence suggesting it would be a clear-cut mistake, has led to both goalies being void of any semblance of confidence.
The Promotion Argument
For the most part, those wanting to see Fowler promoted to the NHL see him as the team’s easiest path toward short-term success.
And there’s logic behind the argument.
As it stands, the Habs have the third-lowest team save percentage (86.52%, all situations), trailing only the St. Louis Blues (86.47%) and the Edmonton Oilers (82.26%) in that respect.
If Fowler can provide above-average goaltending, the Canadiens would surely have a better chance to win games, and in a vacuum, that’s the only thing that matters when it comes to putting the team’s season back on track.
Additionally, it’s quite clear that the lack of confidence from Montembeault and Dobes is spreading throughout the lineup, with unforced errors and poor-decision making starting to multiply among the skaters. Every game gives birth to a new example, perfectly highlighting the questionable decisions being taken by most skaters.
Veleno gives up the puck, Carrier stumbles, and Dobes is a little too aggressive. 5-3 Capitals. pic.twitter.com/HLu9AotPeQ
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 21, 2025
To sum it up, if the Canadiens are to make the playoffs, they have no choice but to seriously consider major changes to their goaltending situation.
The Patience Argument
On the flip side of the coin, history tells us that rushing a goaltender out of the NCAA rarely bears fruit.
Both Cayden Primeau and Jakub Dobes were convinced to leave their NCAA programs just two years into their tenure, and neither has been able to find their rhythm once they made their way to the NHL.
Fowler is the third goaltender the Canadiens have signed after just two seasons in the NCAA, and though his results in the AHL have been quite good, it’s important to remember he has just 13 games of AHL experience under his belt.
13 games is less than 1000 minutes of professional hockey experience.
It’s closer to 800 minutes, making it the shortest apprenticeship program in North America, for a job that typically requires much more time to perfect than any other profession.
In other words, the Canadiens would be rushing him out of the NCAA, and into the NHL, a cardinal sin in goaltender development.
It wouldn’t be a matter of putting his development at risk, but rather, they’d more or less give up on any concept of proper development, in a bid to capture lightning in a bottle.
Consistency is key for goaltender preparation, and thus usage must be carefully monitored, with an onus on the future, beyond Saturday’s match-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
There’s no guarantee Fowler could translate his success to the NHL, especially since he’d be playing behind the same defensive group that allows an endless stream of high-danger chances every night.
Dobes IMMEDIATELY faces a high-danger scoring chance. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lQVHqlgFpY
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 21, 2025
Not only would Fowler’s absence in Laval negatively impact the Rocket, it would also have an influence on many of the prospects who aspire to one day ascend to the NHL.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
In a sense, the Montreal Canadiens are currently being victimized by their rebuild success.
Everyone proclaimed the rebuild to be over after just a few seasons, and while there has to be a lot of credit given to the management group for their logical approach and open lines of communication with fans, you could almost argue that things have gone too well, and thus, the bar has been raised to an unreasonable level.
The rebuild is not over.
And the Canadiens aren’t playing well enough to potentially sacrifice a goalie on the altar of short-term success.
Jacob Fowler is the heir apparent, and as such, should be given as much time as needed to hone his craft in the AHL, before being thrust into the spotlight in the NHL.
After all, the goal is to ensure long-term success, and to do that, Fowler will have to experience at least one full season of professional hockey in a situation that’s conducive to learning, and that can only take place in the AHL, with the Laval Rocket.
