The most important thing for the Habs with Jacob Fowler is not to create a disturbance

Jacob Fowler may have a chance to return to the NCAA next year. Well.

We can analyze the situation from all sides, but there’s one angle that keeps coming back: it’s more than possible that the Canadiens and the player don’t see eye to eye on what’s to come in the next few days.

In my opinion, it’s clear: Fowler wants to burn a year of contract and the Canadiens want to send him to Laval. We might be wrong, but…

Jacob Fowler has nothing left to learn in the NCAA and he probably knows it. What would really help him progress is playing in the American Hockey League (alongside Jakub Dobes?) in 2025-2026.

And everyone knows that.

The news of the day probably comes from the fact that negotiations are going poorly with the Canadiens. He sees his friends (Ryan Leonard and Gabriel Perreault) signing in the National Hockey League and even if he’s not a forward, he must want to burn a year of contract too.

But there’s the key: Fowler is a goalie. It takes time to develop a goalie and the Rocket’s playoff run would be perfect for his development as a top prospect.

According to @Hockey_Robinson, Jacob Fowler is leaning towards returning to the NCAA next year.

Pierre Dorion thinks the Canadiens are doing the right thing by not bringing him directly to Montreal. He believes it would be better for his development to experience a playoff run with the Rocket! pic.twitter.com/XkxzZyvJD0

— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) April 1, 2025

We must remember that Kent Hughes is a patient man when negotiating. We saw it with Jake Evans, notably. #FormerAgent

Right now, he’s probably hoping that Fowler will give in and agree to a stint with the Rocket in the coming days. And Fowler must be hoping that Hughes will give in first.

That’s the downside with NCAA players.

Is it good for the relationship between the club and the player? It might not be too bad… but it’s not necessarily good either. Especially when we know that it’s when we love the most that we hurt the most…

Jacob Fowler’s Twitter profile photo features him as a kid in goalie gear wearing his Habs jersey pic.twitter.com/FNVmUy1Kmf

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) March 31, 2025

The problem is that we know this kind of situation can lead to a standoff. Rutger McGroarty and Cutter Gauthier left Winnipeg and Philly because they wanted to burn a year of contract.

Will the same thing happen to Fowler? That’s not what I’m saying. But in these circumstances, the question arises.

extension

After all, I don’t think Fowler really wants to return to Boston College as part of a diminished team. A more difficult year is ahead for the university and the goalie has earned the right to move on.

Will he choose to stay in the NCAA for another year (without being paid like a pro) based on the end of the 2024-2025 season alone? Maybe.

But don’t be surprised if the goalie gives in between times… even if it might not happen either.

We should also note that the longer it takes, the more real the risk of him becoming a free agent in 2027 is. If he returns to the NCAA in 2025-2026 and threatens the Canadiens in a year, the club might be forced to trade him to avoid losing him for nothing.

Will all this affect his popularity rating with the fans?

That being said, before concluding that he will definitely return to Boston next year, we’ll wait and see how the next few days unfold. It will be important for what’s to come.