The Montreal Canadiens’ issues with goaltending this season have been no secret. The club had high hopes for Samuel Montembeault at the start of the season. The hope was that he could take over the starting role full-time.
However, that has not been quite the case this season. Montembeault has struggled at various points in the season, forcing the Canadiens to rely on 24-year-old Jakub Dobes.
To his credit, Dobes has been solid this season. He has a 2.97 GAA and an .892 SV% in 31 games this season. Those are decent numbers, but not the kind that will overwhelm opponents. That situation has prompted the Habs to call up 21-year-old Jacob Fowler.
With Fowler back up in the NHL, it seems that Montembeault’s days could be numbered. Now, there are a couple of issues with this move.
First, the Canadiens are currently carrying three goalies. They can get away with that since Dobes has a $965K cap hit, with Fowler carrying a $923K cap hit of his own. Fowler is waivers-exempt as well. That condition makes it easier for the Habs to move him up and down between the NHL and the AHL.
But there’s another dimension to this situation.
Fowler’s determination seems to be the defining characteristic in his drive to remain in the NHL.
“I want to be a Montreal Canadien. As long as I can and as soon as I can.”
The comments, as reported by Marco D’Amico of R.org, highlight Fowler’s mindset. And it’s that attitude that could very well push Montembeault out of the lineup.
Canadiens Auditioning Fowler for Playoffs
The next 20 games or so could be an audition for the Dobes-Fowler tandem. Depending on how the two young goalies play, they could be the duo that heads into the postseason.
It would be a tough break for Montembeault after getting a taste of the postseason last year. But it was his lackluster showing against the Washington Capitals last season that led to this experiment.
While Fowler has a great relationship with both Montembeault and Dobes, at the end of the day, business is business.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I’m really close to both those guys and you’re rooting for them, but at the end of the day, you want to be in that net every night. It’s part of the job.”
With the way things are going, it could just be that Fowler will get the inside track on a postseason job.
What Do Habs Do about Montembeault?
The biggest question mark will be what the Canadiens do about Montembeault. He’s under contract for one more season at $3.15 million. Perhaps the Habs could explore the trade market for Montembeault this offseason. There might be some legit interest in a club willing to give him another shot.
However, $3.15 million for, say, a backup netminder is a little steep. Unless the Canadiens were willing to retain some of his salary, trading him would be tough. There’s always the possibility of burying his cap hit in the AHL.
It’s unlikely anyone would pick him up off waivers. That’s why, depending on how Fowler responds to his audition, the path in Montreal could be winding down.