With a goalie carousel currently going on in Montreal, at one point something is going to need to happen. The following are the three scenarios which may occur.
1-Fowler Sent to the AHL
As Fowler does not need to clear waivers, this means no team can submit a waiver claim. Since he’s a rookie this would shake up the dressing room the least. Fowler has played outstanding however posting a 2.37 GAA and 0.912 PCT. He’s shown that he’s ready for the NHL as he’s come into a high pressure situation and does not seem phased.
2-Dobes Sent to the AHL
As Dobes is still on an entry level contract like Fowler, he could be sent to Laval without a team being able to claim him. But he has a 13-5-3 record and while his numbers are not fantastic, he gets wins and seems to have turned the corner from his struggles in November and December. This scenario seems unlikely.
3-Montembeault Traded
Out of the three goalies, Montembealut is the one who experienced the most difficulty this season. He has an 8-6-1 record but a GAA of 3.39 and save percentage of 0.869 which are not amazing numbers. Trading Montembeault brings a certain risk as the keys to the Habs net will essentially be given to two goalies starting their NHL careers. He has 224 games of NHL experience and would be a good mentor to one of the Habs young goalies.
So out of the three, I think the most likely outcome is Fowler being sent back to Laval as it will create less drama. If the Canadiens go in this direction, they are confident that boths Montembeault and Dobes are back on track.
Personally, I would look for a trade with Montembeault. Like I said this summer, the future tandem of this team is Dobes and Fowler so might as well bite the bullet and go for it.
What do you all think the Montreal Canadiens should do?