Canadiens' Jacob Fowler Is Taking Away One More Doubt
Jacob Fowler has drawn a lot of attention this summer, and most of it has been pretty positive. The Montreal Canadiens goalie has been sitting near the top of prospect lists, and after getting a taste of the NHL last season, it is not hard to understand why. But one little asterisk has always followed Fowler.
He's 21 years old and, until recently, stood about 6-foot-1. That's certainly not tiny, but for a modern NHL goaltender, it isn't exactly imposing. Goalies have gotten bigger and bigger, and every inch matters when you're trying to cover a net that seems to get smaller every time somebody shoots the puck.
Well, apparently Fowler got the message. He's now listed at 6-foot-2.
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Fowler’s body is still growing and changing.
That won't turn him into a human skyscraper overnight. One inch won't suddenly make Fowler a different goalie. But it does remove one of those little things people like to put on the other side of the ledger when they're talking about a young goaltender. And there is something else here that I find more interesting.
Fowler also dropped almost 10 pounds, going from 223 to 214, while working with the Canadiens' nutrition staff. That's not just a young player showing up at camp a little taller. That's a young player who appears to have spent the summer taking his preparation seriously.
Maybe that's the bigger story. Fowler already has good technique. He already has the mental side that scouts rave about. And he already showed last season that he could stand in an NHL net without looking completely overwhelmed by the experience.
Fowler is now a little older, a little lighter and apparently a little taller.
That's a pretty good combination for a 21-year-old goalie. The other fascinating part of this is the competition in Montreal. Fowler isn't being handed a starting job just because everybody thinks he's a great prospect. Samuel Montembeault has had a strong summer, and Fowler has a real opportunity to show the Canadiens he is ready for more responsibility. Then there is Jakub Dobes, who should probably be the odds-on starter.
Prospect rankings don't win NHL jobs. Reputation doesn't win NHL jobs. You have to stop pucks. Fowler now gets the chance to do exactly that. And if he can take another step this season, that old question about whether he's big enough might start disappearing altogether.
Sometimes the best way to answer a question is simply to keep playing well. Fowler seems to be doing that.