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Montreal Canadiens: Can Charlie Lindgren backup Carey Price full time?

By Omar L

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 11: Charlie Lindgren #39 of the Montreal Canadiens guards his net during warmups prior to a game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on January 11, 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 11: Charlie Lindgren #39 of the Montreal Canadiens guards his net during warmups prior to a game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on January 11, 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens
LAVAL, QC – DECEMBER 10: Charlie Lindgren Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

The backup position behind Carey Price is wide open at the moment, and it seems as if the Montreal Canadiens could have Charlie Lindgren take it.

It’s a while since the Montreal Canadiens had a proper backup for Carey Price. The last was technically Antti Niemi as his first season with the Habs was a steady one as he put up a .929 save percentage. The record wasn’t the best going 7-5-4 in 17 starts, but the team wasn’t playing its best hockey at the time. Either way, Niemi gave the Habs the best opportunity to win that season, and he had some help in Charlie Lindgren as well.

The next season wasn’t nearly as good for Niemi, which saw Claude Julien run Price into the ground to try to get the Montreal Canadiens into the playoffs. And as for this season, it was the Price show again until it was clear they weren’t going to make it.

The Habs went from having Keith Kinkaid as the backup (which didn’t work out) to giving 2017 seventh-round pick Cayden Primeau his first run in the NHL while finishing off with Lindgren. The 26-year-old likely would’ve gotten a good portion of the remaining games in the season if not for a lower-body injury taking him out.

Now in theory, the Montreal Canadiens don’t have to sign another goaltender this coming offseason. Whether they go down that route or not depends on whether they believe Lindgren is ready to be the team’s backup full-time.

As it stands, Lindgren has done enough to, at the very least, get the benefit of the doubt.

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