Canadiens' Latest Move Signals Goalie Trade Is Coming

The Montreal Canadiens have been having trouble in net, and it's dragging their team down. They are not satisfied with what the tandem of Sam Montembeault (the entire season) and Jakub Dobes (more recently) has been providing them.

The Canadiens are apparently fed up with the poor performances of both their NHL goalies and will put some pressure on both of them with the call-up of Jacob Fowler. Their highly touted young goalie has been lights out in the AHL and deserves the call, especially given the situation in the NHL.

Fowler, just 21 years old, has outplayed Kaapo Kahkonen in the AHL. Kahkonen is supposed to be the third-string goalie for the Canadiens if anything were to go wrong, but it seems like he will continue to hold the net down in Laval while Fowler tries to get the Canadiens on track.

Fowler is 10-5-0 in the AHL with a 2.09 GAA, .919 SV%, and three shutouts. It's never too early for a goalie to be called up to the NHL if he's ready and isn't expected to carry the team and be the starter with no help.

Montreal is two points out of a playoff spot with one more game played and it is a very tight race right now for a playoff spot this early in the season. They can't lose ground and would start to if the goalies continued not to be trusted.

The last straw seemed to be the Tampa Bay Lightning scoring three goals on both Montembeault and Dobes in a 6-1 loss. Dobes started and allowed three goals on 14 shots before Montembeault relieved him and allowed three more goals on 13 shots. The Canadiens have allowed 25 goals in their past six games, losing four of those and letting in four or more in four of the games. They have dropped two in a row and Fowler will have a chance to start with upcoming games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers.

If Fowler impresses, it only further pushes the narrative that the Canadiens are going to move one of their goalies. Given how the season has gone and the contracts, the more likely goalie being shopped is Montembeault. The goalie market is weak, so the Canadiens could strike and get more than they should for the struggling goalie this season.