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G Jacob Fowler - Boston College Eagles, NCAA (2023, 69th, MTL)

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Pavel Buchnevich said:
One of the best goaltending prospects in hockey and the Habs future #1. Reminds me of Jeremy Swagman.
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I struggle badly evaluating goalies as it's the only position I never played but I think Volokhin might be the better goalie prospect for the Habs. With Fowler he certainly knows how to win but last year he had likely the best team D in the entire NCAA. So far this year I've only seen 2 games and he more then looked the part. I assume he's in the AHL next year so that will be very telling as I was a huge Primeau fan after watching him dominate the NCAA at 18, I thought he was going to be very good until he hit the AHL and the weak glove hand started getting exposed.
 
montreal said:
I struggle badly evaluating goalies as it's the only position I never played but I think Volokhin might be the better goalie prospect for the Habs. With Fowler he certainly knows how to win but last year he had likely the best team D in the entire NCAA. So far this year I've only seen 2 games and he more then looked the part. I assume he's in the AHL next year so that will be very telling as I was a huge Primeau fan after watching him dominate the NCAA at 18, I thought he was going to be very good until he hit the AHL and the weak glove hand started getting exposed.
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I think there’s a danger with associating Fowler with Primeau just because they have some similiarities as successful American goaltenders that went the college route and played USHL. I thought Primeau was going to be good, as you did, but so far it hasn’t worked out for him. At the same time, I think the timing is a little better because the Habs will be on the rise as opposed to a clear rebuilder or a team that for the most part is stuck in the mediocre middle.

I think the similarity to Swayman holds up a little better because I think like Swayman he’s never been riddled with upside and all those raw tools for a goaltender, yet he consistently stops the puck at a high rate. Every year. Primeau wasn’t even good his draft year and that’s why he went in the 7th round. He had a few good years in college. Evidently he had ability. Not saying otherwise, but I don’t think he’s that similar other than some of their routes in hockey.

And with the routes, I think there’s more similiarities to Swayman. The fact that Fowler has had to rise from starting out in Florida is not easy. Even with the two successful NHL franchises, there’s no real junior hockey in the state. There still aren’t that many real prospects that emerge from the state. He’s not one of these kids that grew up on hockey’s doorstep in Michigan (like Primeau with a father who was an NHL’er) or Minnesota or Massachusetts. Swayman grew up in Alaska. That’s a hockey state, but it’s so far out of the way that it’s always a challenge to make it big from Alaska. A little like a player like Cozens or McKenna from Yukon in Canada. That’s a far road to travel. There’s a toughness that instills in a player.

He probably ends up somewhere between the two, but I think he’s legit and will be a starting goaltender in the NHL.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich said:
I think there’s a danger with associating Fowler with Primeau just because they have some similiarities as successful American goaltenders that went the college route and played USHL. I thought Primeau was going to be good, as you did, but so far it hasn’t worked out for him. At the same time, I think the timing is a little better because the Habs will be on the rise as opposed to a clear rebuilder or a team that for the most part is stuck in the mediocre middle.

I think the similarity to Swayman holds up a little better because I think like Swayman he’s never been riddled with upside and all those raw tools for a goaltender, yet he consistently stops the puck at a high rate. Every year. Primeau wasn’t even good his draft year and that’s why he went in the 7th round. He had a few good years in college. Evidently he had ability. Not saying otherwise, but I don’t think he’s that similar other than some of their routes in hockey.

And with the routes, I think there’s more similiarities to Swayman. The fact that Fowler has had to rise from starting out in Florida is not easy. Even with the two successful NHL franchises, there’s no real junior hockey in the state. There still aren’t that many real prospects that emerge from the state. He’s not one of these kids that grew up on hockey’s doorstep in Michigan (like Primeau with a father who was an NHL’er) or Minnesota or Massachusetts. Swayman grew up in Alaska. That’s a hockey state, but it’s so far out of the way that it’s always a challenge to make it big from Alaska. A little like a player like Cozens or McKenna from Yukon in Canada. That’s a far road to travel. There’s a toughness that instills in a player.

He probably ends up somewhere between the two, but I think he’s legit and will be a starting goaltender in the NHL.
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The reason Primeau was a 7th round pick had to do with an injury that he didn't disclose during the season, so his #'s sucked.

If Fowler ends up anything close to Swayman at the NHL level then it will be great news for the Habs, as they badly need to find that future #1.
 
Baaaaaaaaaaaaah said:
He's only just turned 20. What's everyone think? Regardless of how well he is doing, Is there a chance he stays another year?
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There’s definitely a chance he stays in school for another year. Fowler has said numerous times that he believes in the idea of overcooking in college.

I think odds are that he moves on after this season regardless but especially if BC wins it all and/or Fowler wins the Richter since there will be nothing left to prove at that point. But as a goalie and given his own comments, it’s not a foregone conclusion.
 
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