We’re looking at a Florida man in the wild in this article!
I’ve already established the depth in the farm system for goaltenders, but the short version is: Stuart Skinner graduated last season. Ilya Konovalov dipped to the Kontinental Hockey League after one American Hockey League season. Oliver Rodrigue had a .912 save percentage in Bakersfield this past season. Samuel Johnson was drafted in the 2022 draft and had a .902 save percentage in the Swedish Junior League.
This is to say that the Oilers could probably use some more goaltenders in the farm system.

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Jacob Fowler Scouting Report and Profile

Position: Goaltender
Shoots: Left
Nationality: United States
Date of Birth: November 24, 2004
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 201 lbs
Fowler started as the backup behind Kyle Chauvette in 2021-22, posting a .927 save percentage and a 2.18 save percentage. He likely should have gotten more opportunities considering he was the best goaltender on the team, but seniority rules.
With that being said, the Floridian goaltender led the Youngstown Phantoms to their first United States Hockey League title in 2022-23. He had a fantastic .912 save percentage and 2.28 goals against average in 40 games while also adding four assists for whatever reason. Both the goals against average and save percentage were tops in the league.
However, Fowler reached another level in the playoffs, owning a .952 save percentage and a 1.36 goals-against average in nine games. He performed so well that he’s committed to Boston College, one of the best schools in the country.
Fowler ranks anywhere from 45th overall (McKeen’s Hockey) to 73rd overall (EliteProspects). Moreover, he ranks as the fifth-best North American netminder according to NHL Central Scouting.
He’s a big unlike the last goaltender we looked at, Scott Ratzlaff. He has great lateral speed and does a good job anticipating where the puck is going. He can drop down to butterfly quickly, which allows him to cover the five-hole. Fowler is also incredibly athletic, and performed excellently when the pressure was on.
In terms of weaknesses, he isn’t the strongest of skaters, which he’ll need to improve by the time he reaches professional hockey. Moreover, some scouts are concerned about his glove side, as he’ll also need to work on extending it to avoid top-shelf goals.
Goaltenders take forever to develop, so I’d expect Fowler to play four years at Boston College, a great school for developing goaltending prospects. It may take a while for Fowler to become a starter, but the reward may well be worth it.
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Previously in this series…