Jacob Fowler has the Canadiens rolling, but Montreal's crease is about to get a lot more crowded.
David Pagnotta said Tuesday on Campbell vs Gallo that he expects the Canadiens to ride three goalies, at least for the immediate future.
His one caveat? Unless something “completely falls into Kent Hughes' lap.”
So Montreal isn't working the phones. It'll just pick up if somebody else calls.
The timing is awkward. The Canadiens head into tonight's game in Dallas on a three-game win streak, allowing two goals total across those wins.
Fowler owns a .942 save percentage this season. Two shutouts are already on his résumé.
He's 6-1-0. And on a cap hit of $945,833, the 21-year-old is delivering absurd value.
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Samuel Montembeault's return sets up a crease logjam in Montreal
Jakub Dobes hasn't kept pace. His save percentage sits at .847, and he's 1-2-2 across five appearances.
Samuel Montembeault is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, expected out until at least Oct 31. That's Saturday, when Pittsburgh comes to town.
The veteran carries a $3,150,000 cap hit. That's more than Fowler and Dobes combined.
He's appeared in two games this season without a decision, so there's no hot hand to protect on his side of the ledger.
Three goalies on one roster is a two-car garage with three cars. Every night, one of them sits out on the street.
And this is a bad plan if it drags on. Goalies need reps, and a third netminder watching from the press box gets none.
So who sits? The numbers point straight at Dobes, but parking a 25-year-old for weeks won't fix whatever's going wrong in his game.
Roster spots are already under pressure. Nick Suzuki is out with an upper-body injury and isn't expected back until at least Nov 18.
Ivan Demidov is on injured reserve too, on the same timeline as Montembeault. A third goalie takes a spot a forward could use.
Martin St-Louis still has his group second in the Atlantic at 7-3-2. The Canadiens have been better away from home, going 4-1-1 on the road.
Tonight is the first meeting of the season with Glen Gulutzan's Stars, who are 7-4-1 and coming off a 5-1 loss to New Jersey.
Saturday brings the Penguins, who beat Montreal 6-5 in overtime back on Oct 3. That might be the night the three-goalie math stops being theoretical.
Fowler keeps stopping pucks while Montembeault inches closer. And Hughes is still waiting on a phone call that may never come.
Remember that Kent Hughes promised there wouldn't be a three-way battle for the Canadiens' starting goaltender spot. Fowler's performances are now forcing him to break that promise.
Should Kent Hughes trade Samuel Montembeault now that Jacob Fowler owns the Canadiens' crease?
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