Fowler and Beyond

After Kent Hughes appointed Nick Bobrov and Martin Lapointe as Co-directors of Amateur Scouting on February 18, 2022, I would have loved to be in the meeting when the goalie prospect depth chart was reviewed. I suspect that no one in that meeting was impressed. Behind Samuel Montembeault, who was a waiver pick in the previous year to support Jake Allen, there wasn’t much to be excited about. Cayden Primeau was touted as the next No. 1 but on every chance he was given to play in Montreal, he was never capable of transferring his excellent AHL play to the NHL.

The issue wasn’t poor scouting by previous management; it was a complete lack of scouting altogether. Those were the Carey Price years when selecting a goalie in the draft was almost seen by the fans and media as an insult to Carey Price. During the last seven years of the Marc Bergevin regime, the Habs selected only four goaltenders, including Primeau in the last round of 2017 and Jakub Dobes in the fifth round in 2020.

Clearly, the Hughes-Gorton Management shifted their approach and during the following four years, seven goaltenders were selected in the draft, six of which were picked in the first five rounds, including Jacob Fowler who is currently the favourite prospect to continue the legacy of great goaltenders in Montreal. A dramatic shift that hasn’t been talked about much in the media. The Habs’ defencemen prospect list has been touted as one of the best in the league since the arrival of Hughes-Gorton but if the current list of goaltending prospects continues to develop the way they are so far, fans may realize that the team’s future in nets may not be set entirely on the fate of Jacob Fowler.

The seven goaltenders selected by the new management clearly show that they have a specific prototype in mind for this role. All prospects are hovering around a 6’3, 195 lbs type of frame. There is very little variance. Two of them were selected in the third round, which is considered high for goaltenders as they are rarely taken in the first two rounds of the draft. During the last four years, only 17 of the 256 players selected in the first two rounds were goaltenders, two of which came in the first round. Considering that the Habs only had three second-round picks and eight third-round picks during those four years, the team’s strategy to select goaltenders after the second round is understandable.

Below is a closer look at each goaltender, including their recent few years leading up to their draft year. The table presents each of their statistics with their current 2025-26 team.

Emmett Croteau:

Emmett Croteau comes from Lloydminster, a small town in northern Alberta and when he reached Midget age, he knew he would have to travel a few hours back and forth to play hockey at that level. Instead, he decided to try out at a USHL camp where he was noticed by the Ontario Reign coach (California U18 AAA). He took the offer and moved to California to join the team as a 15-year-old. He had a great season there, posting a save percentage of 0.959 which got him drafted by Waterloo of the USHL.

In his rookie year in Waterloo, Iowa, he was one of three goalies. He did not get a start until December that season. By the end of that year, he had played in 16 games, posting a 7-6 record and a 0.887 save percentage. Considering his age, the adaptation to a new environment, and the fact this was the COVID year, this was quite a feat. The following year (his draft-eligible year), being more adapted to the league, he posted a save percentage of 0.899. Croteau was ranked the 10th-best available North American Goaltender at the 2022 Draft. This is nothing very impressive, considering that this translates to a 200-250 overall ranking in the draft according to different scouting reports.

That said, every year he had reached the playoffs, his save percentage had increased significantly every time. This story of adaptation and resilience surely had an impact on him being selected by the Habs in the sxith round of the draft. The following year, Croteau headed to the NCAA. After a first year at Clarkson as a rookie backup, producing a save percentage of 0.835 in six games played, he transferred to Dartmouth College, where he improved his save percentage to 0.903 in 18 games, sharing the net 50/50 with Roan Clarke, a decent, albeit undrafted, goaltender. The same duo is backing the team again this year and Croteau seems impenetrable with spectacular statistics putting him on top of the league among goaltenders and being named Best Goalie for the Month of November in the HCA. The team is 11-0-1 so far this year.

Jacob Fowler:

Being the No 1 goalie for the Laval Rocket puts Fowler at the top of the depth chart in Montreal. He was selected highest among all goalies by the current management and has surpassed expectations every time he has been given an opportunity. Fowler’s path was far from easy. He was not the kid star that everyone knew would make it and getting drafted early at every level.

After a spectacular youth hockey progression in Florida, he joined the South Kent 18U AAA hockey team in Connecticut, where he continued to shine, posting north of a 0.930 save percentage over two years. In 2021, expecting to be drafted in the USHL or the OHL, his name was never called. Although he was invited by the Youngstown Phantoms to the camp the following year, he was cut and returned to South Kent until he was called up mid-January 2022 by the Phantoms.

He remained on the bench for three games as backup until he was finally given a chance. He went on to win his first three games and was named 3rd star in two of them. By season’s end, he posted a 11-4-1 record with two shutouts and a 0.927 save percentage, the best in the league.

He remained with the Phantoms the following year as the No 1 goalie, posting a 0.921 save percentage and 27-9-3 record. His journey brought him to Boston College for the following two years and got him drafted by the Habs in the third round.

After a spectacular final season at Boston College, posting a 0.940 save percentage in 35 games, he made his pro debut joining the Rocket at the end of the season. The Habs’ farm team was on top of the AHL and Primeau was the top goalie in the league. Unexpectedly, Montembeault’s injury in Game 3 of the Washington-Montreal series pulled the goalie depth rope up a notch and Primeau became the Habs’ backup, making Fowler the starter in Laval to start their playoff run until Primeau was sent back to Laval two weeks later when Montreal was eliminated. Fowler did very well in his eight playoff games, posting a 0.902 save percentage, better than Primeau (0.878, also in eight games).

This year, Fowler is backed up by veteran Kaapo Kakhonen, giving him reliable support and enabling Fowler to develop without external pressure. Both Fowler and the Rocket have been playing well so far this year. When Kakhonen was sent to Montreal as backup for Dobes for the game vs St. Louis, the team’s management appeared to be sending a clear message to the fan base that the development of Fowler will remain in Laval for the foreseeable future regardless of what happens in Montreal. Until it wasn’t.

After the Habs’ beating by the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 on December 9th, Kent Hughes shocked the hockey world by calling up three players from Laval, including Fowler. In the line of Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price, Fowler was destined to have his first start against the Penguins and he was spectacular that game with a 3.21 Goals Saved Above Expected/60 minutes.

The following game versus the New York Rangers was a little more difficult with five goals allowed in a 5-4 OT Loss. This game was a much higher-paced game than against Pittsburgh and Fowler seemed a little less in control. Following Montembeault’s getting sent to Laval for a short conditioning stint, Fowler made his Bell Centre debut versus the Flyers. He recorded his first regular time loss, showing his lack of experience on a few occasions, especially when he gave the puck to Michkov behind his net for the Flyers’ third goal of the game. This was a great experience for him nonetheless, and he has shown management that he is a top-tier goalie prospect in the league, albeit still needing refinement in Laval.

Quentin Miller:

In his draft year, Miller was the backup goaltender for the Quebec Remparts who finished the year as Memorial Cup champions. Miller played in 20 games that year, posting a 14-4 record and a 0.911 save percentage. After his selection by Montreal, Miller continued his development in the QMJHL the following year, posting a 0.901 save percentage in 27 games for Quebec City before getting traded to Rimouski. Miller finished the season in Rimouski with a 10-4 record and a 0.917 save percentage.

The following year, a shoulder injury in a preseason game that required surgery put him out for most of the season. Since Rimouski was trying to build a team to host the Memorial Cup that year, they chose to let him go and find another goalie. As an overager, it was difficult to find a team to play for, which forced Miller to leave the QMJHL and find a team in the BCHL, ending up with the Chilliwack Chiefs. His performance was stellar with a 0.923 save percentage last year for Chilliwack while reaching the BCHL Finals.

This year, Miller chose the American College route for his development at Denver University in the NCAA, and he currently has an even higher save percentage of 0.931 in 17 games so far. Miller is the starting goalie in Denver and has started 17 of the 19 games played. Denver sits at the top of the NCHC division of the NCAA with a 12-6-1 record.

Yevgeni Volokhin:

Volokhin’s situation is somewhat more difficult to evaluate, mainly because he is playing in Russia where teams’ decisions in the KHL are not always founded on the best development route for the players involved. Last year, Volokhin was one of five goalies who played at least one game for Sochi HC. Although he maintained a 0.901 save percentage, his 3.48 GAA and 4-17-1 record weren’t ideal. Sochi HC was one of the worst teams in the league last year, with only 20 wins in 68 games.

This year, Volokhin was moved to Moscow Spartak, a much better team. Although he did play in four games for the KHL team (0.870 save percentage), he was sent down to the VHL (Russian junior league) in Voskresensk, where he is playing much better. His team is seventh out of 32 in the league and his 0.941 save percentage is among the best in the league.

Mikus Vecvanags:

In last year’s draft, Montreal selected Vecvanags from Latvia in the fifth round, the only goalie selected by the Habs in the draft. At 6’3, 168 pounds, he’s clearly a small frame goaltender although he has already gained nine pounds since he was drafted.

It’s hard to tell what the scouting report said that convinced the Habs to select him. Vecvanags in his draft year had a decent outing in the World U18 for Latvia, posting a 0.894 save percentage in four starts. He has not made the U20 team for Latvia the following year but he is on the team this year.

That said, his statistics in Newfoundland for the Regiment are not impressive. He has played only six games as the team’s backup, posting a 0.850 save percentage. The team’s top goaltender is rookie Antoine Proulx who is eligible for the 2026 draft and considered among the better goalies in the draft.

Arseny Radkov:

Radkov is the only other third-round goalie selected by Montreal’s current management, selected 82nd overall back in June. The Belarusian played in the Finland U18 in 2022-23, posting an above 0.900 save percentage all year.

In the following two years, he played in the U18 and the MHL in Russia, continuing his above 0.900 save percentage trend. When he was drafted, Radkov’s future was already set for the CHL in the 2025-26 season, playing for the Armada in the QMJHL.

To date, he is posting a 0.894 save percentage as he is adjusting to the North-American style, ranking as the 11th-best goalie in the league. Radkov is set to move the NCAA next year, committed to the University of Massachusetts. He is considered a raw talent with good athletic abilities that require significant refining of technique and skills. During the 2025-26 prospect camp in Montreal last August, Radkov did quite well compared to his peers. As a prospect already set to come to North America and having a closer tab on his development, it was a safe bet to select him higher in the draft.

Alexis Cournoyer:

Cournoyer’s road to the Habs is one of those feel-good perseverance stories that can guide an athlete’s career for a long time. In his first year of draft eligibility, Cournoyer was playing in the Maritimes Junior League (MHL), the top Maritimes Junior A league. Although he had been selected by Shawinigan in the QMJHL draft, he was cut from the team that spring. He went out to play in the MHL and although he did quite well, he wasn’t drafted that year.

The following year, he was cut again by Shawinigan and immediately traded to Moncton but the team was loaded with veterans hoping for a Memorial Cup. His only choice was to play in the MHL for a second year, almost giving up hopes on a pro career.

After 21 games back in the MHL, Cape Breton of the QMJHL acquired his rights and called him up for a three-game tryout midseason. Cournoyer pounced on his opportunity and played 21 games, posting a 0.942 save percentage, best in the league for goalies with 20 or more games. The Habs selected him in the fifth round as an overage goalie that year.

In an interview immediately after the draft, Cournoyer said that he had accepted an undrafted camp invitation from the Nashville Predators in the event that he wasn’t drafted that day. His flight was scheduled for 8:00 pm the night of the draft but of course, that was cancelled last minute when he heard his name in the fifth round for his home team, the Montreal Canadiens.

This year, he is the starting goalie for Cornell University. Cornell currently sits second in the ECAC division in the NCAA behind Denver and Cournoyer is the second-best goalie in the division behind Habs’ prospect Emmett Croteau. Cournoyer could very well be an example of a late bloomer who shows dramatic improvement the year after his draft-eligible year.

Jacob Fowler remains the rightful top goaltender prospect. His recent call-up from Laval to Montreal was a big test for him, and he left a very good impression to both the team’s management and the fans, although clearly showing that he needs more experience in the AHL to develop. That said, the Habs have at least five more goalies that could legitimately become elite NHL goalies in the near future.

At 23 years old next year, Croteau could easily be on the Laval Rocket roster next season after graduating in Economics and Politics at Dartmouth. Both Miller and Cournoyer will undoubtedly return to their respective college team next year and continue their development. As for Radkov, his development will continue in the QMJHL with the Armada which is one of the better organizations in the league, located less than 30 minutes from Montreal. Last but not least, Volokhin remains an excellent prospect but the fact that he is playing in Russia adds significant risks and unknowns as to if/when he will be available to transfer to North America.