HabsWorld.net --
The three-goalie rotation is over in Montreal, at least for the time being. The Habs announced on Friday that they’ve assigned goalie Jacob Fowler along with centre Owen Beck to Laval.
Both players were recalled in early December along with defenceman Adam Engstrom. At that time, the team was struggling while also dealing with some injury concerns. However, a couple of players have returned since then while Samuel Montembeault has played much better in recent starts, meaning that playing time for both was going to be more limited.
Fowler wound up making 10 starts with the Canadiens and held his own overall, posting a 2.62 GAA along with a .902 SV%, more than respectable numbers in his first taste of NHL action. However, he struggled in four of his last five starts so the time may have been right to get him back with the Rocket.
In Laval, Fowler has a 2.09 GAA and a .909 SV% in 15 outings, a performance that earned him a spot in the upcoming All-Star Game. Lately, Kaapo Kahkonen has received the majority of the playing time in Fowler’s absence but now Fowler should resume his role as the strong-side platoon option.
It’s not all bad news for Fowler, however. By waiting until his tenth game to send him down, the Habs ensured that Fowler receives his full performance bonus for games played. He had already reached the first $50,000 after his fifth game and he’ll now head down with an extra $30,000 in his pocket thanks to his start on Thursday against Buffalo.
As for Beck, this was his second recall of the season but this one lasted much longer than the first. However, he didn’t see much action, averaging just 9:19 per game in this stint, one that lasted 13 games, bringing his season total to 15. Nonetheless, he picked up his first career NHL goal this time around while also winning more than 56% of his faceoffs. While his role was limited, the coaching staff should have more confidence that they can trust Beck to fill that role whenever injuries creep up next.
In the meantime, Beck will return to the Rocket where he has been quieter than expected offensively. In 22 games with them, he has three goals and eight assists after putting up 15 goals and 29 helpers in 64 contests in his rookie campaign. Getting back on track at that end would certainly bolster his chances of another promotion at some point down the stretch.
For the time being, the Habs are down to just 12 healthy forwards but that should soon change. Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, and Patrik Laine were all full participants at practice today and it’s possible that one or more of them will be able to play on Saturday in Ottawa. Montreal has two open roster spots at the moment but would have to make another roster move if all three are able to return.
There is also a salary cap element to note with these moves. With Fowler and Beck going down, the Habs are now out of using LTIR, allowing them to bank salary cap space as they were early on in the season before acquiring Phillip Danault before the holiday roster freeze last month. That money will be useful to help afford further in-season moves or to go against the bonuses that several of their youngsters have already hit or are projected to reach.
