When Carey Price was selected fifth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2005, not everyone was thrilled. After all with Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Jose Theodore already in tow, goaltender hardly seemed to be a position of need. However, Habs general manager Bob Gainey and director of amateur scouting Trevor Timmins believed that Price had all the makings of a franchise goaltender. It was certainly a bold choice.
As Theodore’s game quickly fell off and he was dealt to Colorado within a year of Price being selected, the Canadiens decision to draft the best player available was quickly proven to be the right one
Prior to his arrival in Montreal, Price had a year for the ages in 2007. It began when he led Canada to a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships where he was named tournament MVP. Upon completing his fourth and final season in junior with the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League, he was named the WHL and CHL goaltender of the year. After his WHL season ended, Price joined the Canadiens AHL affiliate in Hamilton for the end of their regular season. It was supposed to be a taste of pro hockey for the teenager prior to a planned full-time role in the American Hockey League the following year. However Price had other plans as he took over the starting job and proceeded to backstop the Bulldogs to a Calder Cup championship. Being named the AHL Playoff MVP was the icing on the cake of an incredible year.
There was no looking back for Price as at the age of 20 he made the Canadiens opening night roster for the 2007-08. He started 41 games in his rookie year posting a record of 24-12-3 with a 2.56 GAA and a .920 save percentage. By midseason he was splitting starter duties with incumbent Cristobal Huet until the latter was dealt to Washington at the trade deadline, clearing the way for Price to become the full-time starter. Price would cap off his inaugural season with a playoff series win over Boston in the first round.
The next couple of years would be a roller coaster for Price. He struggled with consistency, at times losing his starting job to Jaroslav Halak including during the Canadiens improbable run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2010. Price or Halak became a real debate and a large portion of the fan base was unhappy when Halak was traded to the Blues that summer, essentially handing the number 1 job back to Price.
Price would silence his doubters for good with his incredible play over the next several seasons. He was nothing short of dominant, posting a save percentage of .916 or better in six of the next seven years, cementing his status as the best goaltender of his generation.
He was at his absolute peak from 2014 to 2016, a stretch in which he was arguably the best pound for pound player in the world. In the 2014-15 season in particular, he enjoyed one of the very best campaigns in the history of the game. Price put up a 44-16-6 record with a 1.96 GAA and a .933 save percentage that year winning the Hart, Vezina and Jennings Trophies as well as the Ted Lindsay Award. He also achieved great international success at best on best tournaments, leading Canada to gold medal wins at the 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup.
Price is the Canadiens all-time leader in games played with 712 and wins with 361. His remarkable career save percentage of .917 is second only to the great Ken Dryden among Habs goalies who have played in at least 120 regular season games. He also has 43 wins in 89 playoff starts with a career post season save percentage of .919, second only to Gump Worsley among those who have at least 30 playoff appearances.
Unfortunately for Price and the Canadiens, the ultimate prize of the Stanley Cup proved elusive. There were certainly a couple of close calls and what if moments along the way that Habs fans know all too well.
In 2014, with Price at his best, the Canadiens were marching through the playoffs until the Habs netminder was injured after being run over by Chris Kreider of the Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Habs lost that series in six games, managing to still win twice with Dustin Tokarski between the pipes. What if Price doesn’t get hurt?
In 2021, Price stood on his head to lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final. They would lose to a loaded Tampa Bay team that was $18 million over the salary cap. The defending cup champion Lightning had narrowly escaped losing to the Islanders in Game 7 of the previous round. What if the Habs had played the Islanders instead?
Price was forced to the sidelines following the 2021 playoff run with multiple injuries. Following extensive surgery and rehab, he battled back to appear in five games at the end of 2021-22 season and was awarded with the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance and dedication. Sadly that would be the last we would see of Price on the ice as his career has been cut short due to his ongoing knee issues and he remains on long term injured reserve.
Despite not bringing home a 25th Stanley Cup, Price more than deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the top goaltenders in franchise history. At his best, there was nobody better. To me, the real what if we should asking when it comes to Carey Price is what if the Canadiens had put a better team in front of him, how many cups could they have won and how much higher on this list would he be?
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