Montreal Canadiens: What Has to Happen For Habs to Make Playoffs Next Season?

Carey Price returns to form

The biggest thing that needs to go right for the Canadiens next season is the health of Carey Price.

Drafting Wright, a breakout season from Roy, and an improved blue line would really help, but it would be for naught if Price is battling injuries for most of the season once again. We are in the month of April now and still waiting for the goaltender to make his season debut.

Price’s recent regular season’s haven’t been his best as he had a save percentage below .910 in three of the past four seasons. But he did show in the past two postseasons that he can still carry a team throughout a long playoff run.

With Jake Allen signed to back him up next season, a healthy Price would only be asked to play 50 regular season games or so and would be able to play rested and healthy throughout the season. That would be enough to allow his numbers to creep back up a little higher, but an improved blue line, and an offence that sustains pressure far from the Habs net would be quite beneficial as well.

It sounds like Price is nearing a return this season, which would allow him to have a full offseason to prepare for the 2022-23 season. If he can play the way he did throughout the 2021 postseason for 50 games next season, and Allen comes on in relief every third game or so, the Canadiens would make a very real push for a playoff spot once again next season.

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