For a long time, the Canadiens’ goaltending conversation was simple: find the next one.
That question may not be hanging over Montreal the way it used to. Jakub Dobes had a postseason that got people’s attention, and he looked like a real part of the club’s future. But the more intriguing twist might be the goalie behind him.
Jacob Fowler doesn’t need to win a battle for the No. 1 job this season. Montreal may not even want that kind of pressure on him yet. He’s still young, still learning, and there’s value in letting a goalie develop without the entire weight of the team on his shoulders every night.
Still, Fowler can absolutely apply pressure.
He played just 17 NHL games last season, but he finished with 7.1 goals saved above expected. His goals saved above expected per 60 minutes was actually better than Dobes’. That doesn’t mean Fowler has passed him - 17 games is a tiny sample - but it does say there’s something real here.
The situation gets even more interesting if Sam Montembeault is moved. In that case, Fowler would have a clear path to becoming Dobes’ backup, and that could create a very different kind of competition.
A developing backup is one thing. A young goalie who starts taking starts away from the player viewed as the future is another.
Montreal doesn’t have to settle on a definitive starter right now, and that’s a good place to be. Dobes can keep playing.
Fowler can keep playing. The Canadiens can simply watch it unfold.
Maybe Dobes takes the job and runs with it. Maybe Fowler grows into a 1B who deserves 30 or 35 starts.
Or maybe Fowler develops fast enough to force a bigger decision than anyone expected.
That’s the kind of problem rebuilding teams hope to run into.
The Canadiens are leaving the pure rebuild phase and entering the part where every spot starts to carry more weight. At this point, they need more than prospects. They need players who can help them win.
Fowler might become one of those players sooner than expected. He doesn’t have to take Dobes’ job this season.
He just has to make Montreal ask whether it has two strong young goalies instead of one. If that happens, the Canadiens’ biggest question in net could end up looking a lot like a strength.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Know One Jersey Debate Should Already Be Over
The Canadiens have never exactly lacked for sweater options, which is part of why a recent list from The Athletic left Montreal out of the nostalgia conversation altogether. With so many iconic looks already in the clubs history, and with the current classic design still carrying so much weight, there is a strong case that the most recognizable Canadiens jersey is also the one fans already want to see most often.
Montreal has tried its share of alternates over the years, from centennial and Winter Classic specials to other one-off throwbacks, with reception that has ranged from enthusiastic to lukewarm. The one design many supporters would rather forget is the powder blue reverse retro, a tribute to the long-gone Expos that became tied as much to ugly results as to the cross-sport nod. For a franchise built on tradition, the debate may already be settled. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Still Face A Blue Line Question After Latest Rumors
The latest chatter around Arber Xhekaj has kept Montreal in the middle of one of those summer conversations that can linger far longer than anyone expects. Calgary has shown interest in the defenseman, but the Flames have also added Jake Middleton, which gives the situation a different feel than a simple need-based pursuit. From the Canadiens side, Xhekaj remains the kind of player that draws attention because of his mix of edge and mobility, and any talk about moving him immediately turns into a bigger discussion about how Montreal values its blue line.
What makes the story more interesting is the price tag the Canadiens would be looking for if they ever decided to seriously entertain a deal. Montreal is not treating Xhekaj like a spare part, and that matters in a market where rumors can outrun reality pretty quickly. For a team trying to keep building a sturdier defense, the question is not just who wants him, but whether the return would be worth changing the makeup of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Suddenly Have A Larkin Question Fans Can't Ignore
Around the league, the Canadiens keep surfacing in conversations tied to possible trade targets, and the latest chatter centers on a Columbus forward whose name has started to come up for Montreal if the Blue Jackets ever seriously entertain moving him. The fit is easy to see from a Canadiens perspective, but so is the catch: speculation is one thing, matching the asking price is another, especially with the market for restricted free agents changing the way teams value young talent.
Dylan Larkin has added another layer to the noise, with reports suggesting he would accept a move to certain clubs, but the salary cap and the cost in assets still make any deal complicated. For Montreal, that keeps the discussion in the realm of rumor and possibility rather than momentum, and it leaves the real question hanging in the background of all this buzz: whether the Canadiens can put together the kind of package Columbus would actually want. [Read more 🡒]