Corey Pronman: “Jacob Fowler doesn’t have the tools to be a #1 goalie.”

Félix Forget
Corey Pronman: “Jacob Fowler doesn’t have the tools to be a #1 goalie.”
Credit: Screenshot/Twitter

Yesterday, the Canadiens put an end to their ménage à trois in front of the net by sending Jacob Fowler back to the AHL. The youngster, who was given just over a month's NHL audition, will eat minutes on a regular basis in Laval.

The club obviously feels that Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes are performing satisfactorily at the moment.

Fowler didn't do too badly during his NHL stint, and we know the kid still has plenty of time to develop. So, there's reason to be optimistic… but there are still some people who have doubts about Fowler.

Corey Pronman, who recently ranked the NHL's best U23 players, didn't include Fowler in his list. And when asked about it by his colleagues on a podcast, he explained this:

Jacob Fowler doesn't have the tools to be a #1 goalie. – Corey Pronman

Pronman explains that, generally speaking, he's not the biggest fan of smaller goalies. He recalls that in recent years, he hasn't been the biggest fan of guys like Devon Levi and Dustin Wolf.

And in Fowler, he sees another goalie who's a little shorter (he's six feet, two inches) and not necessarily the most athletic. In particular, he thinks it shows when you look at his lateral movements, and that this is a factor that could prevent him from being a true #1 goalie.

He sees him more as a backup goalie… but he does bring a touch of optimism.

Pronman acknowledges that Fowler hasn't done badly since his arrival in the NHL, and sees similarities between the Habs goalie and Jeremy Swayman. In the eyes of the prospects expert, then, there's a world in which Fowler becomes a Swayman-style goalie.

The Bruins' goalie is an inch taller than Fowler, but 20 pounds lighter.

We'll see if the future proves Pronman right, but it's interesting to note that he's still skeptical about Fowler's future. And that's despite his interesting performances in the NHL over the past month or so.


Overtime

– Speaking of the wolf. He'll be the starting goalie for the Rocket this afternoon.

– Mitch Love is off to the KHL. He lost his NHL assistant position a few months ago following an NHL investigation.

– Logical.

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