{"id":350239,"date":"2025-12-11T16:19:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T16:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/350239\/"},"modified":"2025-12-11T16:19:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T16:19:15","slug":"montreal-canadiens-dont-need-to-rush-to-address-issues-including-goaltending-the-hockey-writers-montreal-canadiens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/350239\/","title":{"rendered":"Montreal Canadiens Don’t Need to Rush to Address Issues, Including Goaltending – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in a difficult stretch, and emotions are naturally running high after an ugly 6\u20131 loss<\/a> to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The response from management was immediate; three players were recalled: Owen Beck<\/a>, Adam Engstr\u00f6m<\/a>, and goaltender Jacob Fowler<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With Jake Evans potentially dealing with a foot injury<\/a>, the team needed reinforcements at centre. Engstr\u00f6m offers depth with Kaiden Guhle still sidelined. But it\u2019s the call-up of Fowler that has sparked the most debate, and it ties directly into the larger theme of where this organization stands right now. The Canadiens are in a rough patch, yes, but they are also a young, building team. That\u2019s precisely why patience, not panic, should guide every decision.<\/p>\n

Difficulties<\/p>\n

Reality is reality; the Habs have lost 10 of their last 15 games. That kind of slump can make any fan base restless and any management group feel pressure to act. Add in the mounting injuries, several regulars out of the lineup, and now Evans\u2019 status in question, and the situation becomes more complicated. Depth is being tested in every area, and the team\u2019s confidence has taken a hit.<\/p>\n

\"MontrealMontreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler celebrates with his teammates (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

The recall of Engstr\u00f6m makes sense considering the blue line\u2019s instability, but the bigger headline is Fowler. The Canadiens promoted him for insurance, but it also reflects how thin things have become in goal. Samuel Montembeault<\/a> hasn\u2019t been sharp enough to settle games, and Jakub Dobes\u2019 inconsistency has left the door open for speculation at the position. It\u2019s understandable that frustration is building, especially when the defensive structure collapses as easily as it did against the Lightning. But it\u2019s in these exact moments, when the team struggles, when the noise gets loud, that patience matters most.<\/p>\n

Patience<\/p>\n

The temptation to throw Fowler into the NHL right now is strong. He\u2019s been sensational for the Laval Rocket, putting up one of the best seasons by a rookie goaltender the Rocket have seen. He looks calm, he looks confident, and he looks like the Habs\u2019 most promising future option between the pipes. But that\u2019s exactly why recalling him right now, in this environment, feels like the wrong move. Young goalies need to play. They need rhythm, they need confidence, they need structure in front of them. Laval offers Fowler all of that at the moment. Montreal does not.<\/p>\n

Related: Montreal Canadiens\u2019 Top 10 Prospects for December 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The Canadiens\u2019 defensive play has been chaotic for weeks. Rush chances against are piling up, net-front coverage breaks down too easily, and the team is giving up goals in bunches. Just take the Lightning\u2019s first three goals: two breakaways and a play where everyone was running everywhere in the defensive zone. It is not an environment built to protect a young goaltender. It\u2019s one thing to give a prospect a taste of the NHL when the team is structurally sound and competitive. It\u2019s another to throw him into a situation where he could potentially be shelled.<\/p>\n

Montembeault and Dobes haven\u2019t been good enough, that\u2019s true, but goalies, like skaters, develop through adversity. Fowler is not the solution to short-term pain. He is part of the long-term future, and rushing him could jeopardize that.<\/p>\n

Alternatives<\/p>\n

If the Canadiens are intent on making a change in goal, they already have a better option than Fowler, Kaapo K\u00e4hk\u00f6nen. Signed for just over $1 million this summer, the veteran netminder was brought in specifically to provide NHL-level depth. He has experience, he has handled NHL shooters, and unlike Fowler, recalling K\u00e4hk\u00f6nen doesn\u2019t risk interrupting a crucial development path. Don\u2019t get me wrong, Fowler is a better goalie, but K\u00e4hk\u00f6nen lets Fowler continue his development and provides competition in Montreal.<\/p>\n

K\u00e4hk\u00f6nen can come in, take some starts, and weather some of the instability without risking long-term consequences. That is what depth veterans are for. Even with the current skid, the Canadiens remain in the playoff race. They are not out of it, and they are certainly not in a position to sacrifice development for desperation. This is still a young team, still building toward something bigger, still learning how to win consistently. There is no shortcut to that process, and no need to force one.<\/p>\n

The message right now should be simple: stay the course. Let the injured players return, the young core grow, and Fowler continue dominating in Laval where he belongs. The Canadiens are not contenders yet, and there is nothing to gain by pretending otherwise. Patience is due, and patience is how this team will eventually get where it wants to be.<\/p>\n

\"SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in a difficult stretch, and emotions are naturally running high after an ugly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":216883,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5103],"tags":[6167,265,5,3567,264,21,5147,4,3568],"class_list":{"0":"post-350239","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-montreal-canadiens","8":"tag-adam-engstrom","9":"tag-canadiens","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-jacob-fowler","12":"tag-montreal","13":"tag-montreal-canadiens","14":"tag-montrealcanadiens","15":"tag-nhl","16":"tag-owen-beck"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115701846118376534","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=350239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=350239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}