{"id":834685,"date":"2026-07-29T23:23:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T23:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/834685\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T23:23:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T23:23:09","slug":"montreal-canadiens-role-profiles-jacob-fowler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/834685\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal Canadiens Role Profiles: Jacob Fowler"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we get into the dog days of summer and until training camp, thesickpodcast.com<\/a> will profile Montreal Canadiens players based on their expected role for the 2026-27 NHL season.<\/p>\n

After finishing the season as the Montreal Canadiens\u2019 backup, goaltender Jacob Fowler<\/a> is expected to continue in that role according to information that the Sick Podcast got from an NHL source on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

However, the Montreal Canadiens may need to move veteran goaltender Samuel Montembeault<\/a> in order for their plan to continue as expected.\u00a0 The reality is that the Montreal Canadiens currently have three goaltenders on their roster capable of playing in the NHL. Considering a three-goalie rotation is not ideal for any goaltender, much less a young 21-year-old, the Canadiens will need a plan to avoid starting the year with three goaltenders. With Fowler being exempt from waivers, the Canadiens should consider sending the 21-year-old back to the Laval Rocket to start the year. This will allow Fowler to get starts in regularly early on to help him improve his game to become the goaltender the Canadiens are hoping that he can become in the future.<\/p>\n

In 17 regular season games with the Canadiens this past season, Fowler posted a solid .908 save percentage and 2.43 GAA alongside his 9-6-2 record during two different stints in the NHL. He was also the only goalie to record a shutout for the Montreal Canadiens on the year, when he stopped 31 shots in a 4-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins during his first stint with the team. Both times that Fowler was called up by the Canadiens came because Montembeault was really struggling and became unplayable, which allowed the first-year pro goaltender to show what he can do in the best league in the world, and he didn\u2019t disappoint.<\/p>\n

Jacob Fowler collects his 1st career shutout in just his 4th game in the NHL \ud83d\udc4f\ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/KkDJu14uuA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) December 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Fowler has no doubt proven that he is ready to handle a role in the NHL, but playing games at the AHL level is important for him to continue developing into the future franchise netminder the Montreal Canadiens are hoping for rather than him sitting on the bench most nights as the team\u2019s backup. This is why in the case that Montembeault stays with the Canadiens organization, they may opt to send Fowler down to get more playing time.<\/p>\n

On top of that, sending Fowler to Laval to start the year could be a way for Montembeault to prove that last year was a fluke and that he has what it takes to be an everyday NHL goalie still, which should only up his value on the trade market. If he does well, the Montreal Canadiens could either keep him as Jakub Dobes\u2019<\/a> backup for the year, or they could move him to make room for Fowler.<\/p>\n

There is also the option that the Canadiens could just waive Montembeault and play him in the AHL instead of sending Fowler down. However, this should only be in the case that Montembeault isn\u2019t able to be moved or he comes into camp not able to find his game that made him a reliable NHL goaltender in the first place.<\/p>\n

One thing that is for sure is Fowler needs to play, as he has the potential to be the next great franchise goaltender of the Montreal Canadiens, but without proper playing time, he won\u2019t be able to develop. Whether he starts in Laval or in Montreal, the Canadiens need to make sure that they give him enough starts so that he keeps developing into a star goaltender.<\/p>\n

Kent Hughes emphasized that Jacob Fowler needs to play games next season.<\/p>\n

What’s the ideal number of starts with the #Habs<\/a> for his development? \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n

Kent Hughes a soulign\u00e9 l’importance que Jacob Fowler dispute des matchs la saison prochaine.<\/p>\n

Quel serait, selon vous, le nombre\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/geyy59eeHx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) July 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Even though Dobes had a great season, to the point where he eventually won the Canadiens\u2019 starting job during the 2025-26 campaign, due to the potential that Fowler has, he should still be the plan as the team\u2019s future long-term starter. After all, goalies can be streakier than any other position in hockey, and Fowler\u2019s calm style of play is a lot more reliable than Dobes\u2019 way of playing. This is why it\u2019s also possible that Fowler eventually steals the starting job at some point in the 2026-27 season from Dobes as well. Although a young tandem between Fowler and Dobes is probably the most likely scenario for the near-future.<\/p>\n

With all that being said, Fowler\u2019s role with the Montreal Canadiens for the 2026-27 campaign could be anything from being the AHL starting goaltender to the NHL\u2019s starter depending on all the variables with their goaltenders throughout the season. Fowler\u2019s role with the Canadiens in general is more of a long-term plan; they should look to the future rather than the present. The Canadiens should look at the options that are best for the young goaltender long-term for the 2026-27 campaign.<\/p>\n

Check out the previous Montreal Canadiens Role Profile on Phillip Danault<\/a> if you haven\u2019t already.<\/p>\n

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