Jacob Fowler vs. Dobeš and Montembeault: What the recall reveals about Canadiens’ goaltending

Montreal’s recall of jacob fowler brings the 21-year-old back onto an NHL roster that includes Jakub Dobeš and Samuel Montembeault. This comparison asks a single question: does Fowler’s short NHL sample and recent AHL form offer a clearer, testable alternative to the inconsistent starts from Dobeš and Montembeault?

Jacob Fowler: recall details and recent form with the Laval Rocket

Fowler was recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket this week after returning to Laval on March 6 with a 4-2 win over Rochester; that was his first game since February 16 following an upper-body injury that kept him out of the AHL All-Star Classic. He previously made his NHL debut on December 11 and was recalled earlier this season for 10 games, posting a 4-4-2 record with a. 902 save percentage and a 2. 62 goals-against average, including his first career shutout. In the minors he has recently started seven of Laval’s last 10 and posted a. 923 SV% in that span, lifting his season AHL numbers to a. 916 SV% and 2. 23 GAA with three shutouts in 27 appearances.

Jakub Dobeš and Samuel Montembeault: NHL starts and consistency for the Canadiens

Dobeš and Montembeault have split starts for Montreal this season with markedly different outcomes. Montembeault has struggled through what has been described as the worst season of his time with the club, allowing goals on plays such as point shots that have been repeatedly exposed. Dobeš has produced mixed results, following a poor game against the Sharks with an outstanding performance against the Kings, and has been treated as closer to league average overall. Both have yielded inconsistent performances in recent weeks, creating the space for discussion about bringing Fowler back up.

Montreal Canadiens’ recall choice: how Fowler compares to Dobeš and Montembeault

Apply three identical criteria to all three netminders: NHL sample performance, recent form, and upside as a corrective to inconsistency. On NHL sample, Fowler’s 10 starts produced a. 902 SV% and a 2. 62 GAA with one shutout; Dobeš and Montembeault carry larger NHL workloads but have more volatility in outcomes, including multi-goal outings that have undermined the club. On recent form, Fowler’s AHL stretch (. 923 SV% in seven of 10 starts) contrasts with Montembeault’s continued struggles and Dobeš’s alternating strong and weak games. On upside, Fowler’s profile includes his first NHL shutout and his rapid improvement in Laval, suggesting a short-term option to press the other two for consistency.

Quantitatively, Fowler’s limited NHL sample produced one shutout and a. 902 SV% in 10 starts; his AHL metrics this season moved to a. 916 SV% and 2. 23 GAA with three shutouts in 27 appearances. Dobeš and Montembeault offer broader NHL data but with swings that have included sub-. 850 save percentage outings and a six-goal game that lowered trust in nightly starts. Those concrete numbers align to show Fowler with better recent, small-sample numbers while Dobeš and Montembeault present larger samples marked by inconsistency.

That alignment establishes a clear trade-off: Fowler brings stronger short-term metrics and recent momentum in the AHL, while Dobeš and Montembeault bring more NHL experience but less reliability in key moments. The recall therefore functions as a controlled experiment for Montreal—one that can be measured across immediate starts.

Finding: The comparison establishes that Fowler’s recall offers the Canadiens a verifiable short-term corrective to inconsistent goaltending; his superior recent AHL numbers and his clean NHL sample make him the clearer candidate to stabilize netminding in the near term. The next confirmed test is the club’s mid-week back-to-back that includes a home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and a visit to the Ottawa Senators, where coaching decisions will reveal whether Fowler receives an immediate start. If jacob fowler maintains his AHL-level save percentage in additional NHL starts, the comparison suggests Montreal should expand his role to address the team’s goaltending inconsistency.