The Montreal Canadiens had five players on The Athletic’s top 100 NHL-drafted skaters, and on Wednesday, fans found out they also had a goaltender in the masked-men ranking.
Last July, Fowler was ranked third on the list, but this time, he got second place. Minnesota Wild Jesper Wallstedt has gone down to 4th place, allowing Fowler to move up, while the San Jose Sharks’ Yaroslav Askarov is at the top of the list.
In his sophomore season with Boston College, Fowler has impressive stats in 25 games; the youngster is 19-4-1 and has a 1.72 goals-against average and a 936 save percentage. There’s been no word about his plans for next season yet, but it looks like he’s ready to jump to the professional level. Wheeler’s closing comments on the Habs’ prized prospect in his ranking are about as positive as can be:
He’s got a legitimate shot not just to be an NHL goaltender but to be a top one, and there aren’t many goalies his age (or even a little older) I’m comfortable saying that about. He seems to pitch a shutout once or twice a month, and I think he’s got a compelling case for the Hobey Baker this year.
I expect the Canadiens to take the same approach they took with Jakub Dobes, starting him off in the AHL for a season or two, depending on how well he performs with the Laval Rocket.
Both Dobes and Cayden Primeau will be RFAs this Summer and given how the start of the season went for the latter, I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t get a qualifying offer. Yes, he’s been good in the AHL since being sent down, but the gap between the two leagues seems too big for him. However, Connor Hughes, who is also in Laval right now, will be a UFA; if he’s not signed to an extension, the Canadiens might have to make do with a Primeau-Fowler tandem in Laval.
In 19 games this season, Hughes has a 10-7-2 record, a 2.47 GAA, and a .907 SP. For a 28-year-old who had never played in the AHL before, these are good numbers. The question is, will he be satisfied with his utilization in Laval, or will he try to find another role elsewhere? Time will tell.
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