Jacob Fowler: The CH would rather have him on the bench than as a starter in Laval

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Jacob Fowler: The CH would rather have him on the bench than as a starter in Laval
Credit: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Right now, the Canadiens' playoff run is drawing a lot of attention in Quebec. Their victory over the Lightning means the team will now face the Sabres in the second round.

My colleague Marc-Olivier Cook actually wrote a great piece on the Canadiens' opponent earlier today.

That said, we mustn't forget that the Habs' farm team, the Rocket, has also begun its playoff run. However, they lost yesterday, meaning they'll face elimination tomorrow night.

And right now, the team is struggling to make saves. Kaapo Kahkönen isn't getting the job done, and the Rocket must be wishing they'd seen Jacob Fowler back in the lineup with Adam Engström this morning.

And today, on On Jase, Stéphane Leroux made a good point: it's still interesting to note that the Habs, right now, would rather see Fowler sitting at the end of the bench in the NHL than watching him play playoff hockey in Laval.

What's clear, obviously, is that the Habs really don't trust Samuel Montembeault. After all, no one doubts that Fowler should be the starter if Jakub Dobes were to get injured or struggle… but the team doesn't even want to take the chance of seeing the Quebec native step onto the ice if Dobes were to leave a game before it ends.

And in reality, it would be possible for the Canadiens to send Fowler to Laval to play in Game 4… before having him return as a backup in Buffalo the next day. But they don't seem to want that option either.

It makes sense, right now, for the Habs to prioritize their playoff run over the Rocket's. But still, it's pretty unusual to see Fowler warming the bench when he could be playing playoff hockey in Laval.

That's further proof that the club is now more focused on winning than on development.


Quick Q&A

– Indeed.

– What do you think?

– I like that!

– Oops.

– He'll be in demand.

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