Player Discussion Carey Price - Why Always Me? Edition

[Sorinth]

I tend to disagree. NHL hockey like MLB have HCs and managers slot their No. 1 goalie and ace pitchers against weaker teams/pitchers to boost their star players' stats and to improve their chances of winning back to back games let's say or to play them in the first game of a double header.

Backups do tend to get the crappy end of back to backs, but you're crazy if you think in the NHL most teams play their #1 goalie against weak teams to boost their stats and put the backup against strong teams.

 

[justafan22]

It is weird he signed 1 day before Radulov signed and 3 weeks before Markov left. I wonder if he signed knowing the team would do more.

 

[DAChampion]

(mod) I will leave with this last comment :

Price will suck again next year. He will suck again because he has a terrible attitude. You could see it again in his post game comments after Pittsburgh when he said Malkin's goal was good and he was taking jabs at his teammates for not rushing the other team's goalie. This guy's mind is not with the habs. I don't know where it is but it is not with this team. It hasn't been for a while. Also the guy coasts on his talent a lot. But past 30, you can't just rely on talent. It won't work any longer, especially not on a team built on winning low scoring games (built wrong, yes, but still how it is). He will suck again unless he takes a long hard look at himself and finds some type of drive again somewhere. But dating all the way back to his early days, he's always been very keen on blaming his teammates for his own flaws. I remember when Markov had to intervene because the staring down of his dmen after mistakes was making news. You guys probably don't remember this because you have lemmings memory, but I 'member. I 'member when Price pulled his Roy act. This guy made due with the fact he had to play on this team. But he wants out. He's never bought in 100%. Subban bought in 100% and we dealt him. Goes to show how MB got it so wrong placing his trust with Price and Patch over Subban.

You are being vindicated on Price and your vindication will grow over time. It may reach its apex during the 2025-2026 season, when Price will be making 10.5 million dollars due to accomplishments during the 2013-2014 season.

Don't get me wrong, I like Price. He's been a good goalie for the Habs, I think that he was a legitimate pick at #5 overall, and he's provided good value for all of his contracts through to this season. He's had several good seasons, one great season. However, his playoff performances have been middling, I recall for example how he singlehandedly lost the series against Philadelphia in 2008, a year where the Habs could have gone deep. Usually he's neither bad nor great in the playoffs, he's just ok.

But truly what's been unnerving is how overrated Price has been. He has now gotten himself one of the worst contracts in the NHL, which he got 1 year early, that his GM offered him as early as he could. He's been exempt from criticism from the fanbase at times, whereas Galchenyuk, Subban, Desharnais are fair game, people would somehow often rush to defend Price and say that it's never his fault. However, sometimes it was his fault. There were Habbs fans who said that he was not only the best goalie in the NHL (a stretch), but the best player in the NHL and the best goalie in NHL history. Pricemania was out of control. His reputation was overblown, probably partly due to draft pedigree, good looks, fanbase defensiveness, and a genuinely impressive career high in 2014.

 

[the valiant effort]

But truly what's been unnerving is how overrated Price has been. He has now gotten himself one of the worst contracts in the NHL, which he got 1 year early, that his GM offered him as early as he could. He's been exempt from criticism from the fanbase at times, whereas Galchenyuk, Subban, Desharnais are fair game, people would somehow often rush to defend Price and say that it's never his fault. However, sometimes it was his fault. There were Habbs fans who said that he was not only the best goalie in the NHL (a stretch), but the best player in the NHL and the best goalie in NHL history. Pricemania was out of control. His reputation was overblown, probably partly due to draft pedigree, good looks, fanbase defensiveness, and a genuinely impressive career high in 2014.

Reg. season goalie stats for 2007-2008 to 2016-2017. (Sorted by MIN to shine a light on the workhorses)

Player Season Finder | Hockey-Reference.com

Perusing the list and considering factors such as

- rosters
- coaching styles
- individual playing styles/fundamentals
- hardware

I'm not sure how you can conclude that it would have been a "stretch" for the many Habs and non-Habs fans alike over the years to consider Price the best in the world.

By no means am I advocating for Price's contract or uninspired playoff performances here. Just zeroing in on "stretch".

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

You are being vindicated on Price and your vindication will grow over time. It may reach its apex during the 2025-2026 season, when Price will be making 10.5 million dollars due to accomplishments during the 2013-2014 season.

Don't get me wrong, I like Price. He's been a good goalie for the Habs, I think that he was a legitimate pick at #5 overall, and he's provided good value for all of his contracts through to this season. He's had several good seasons, one great season. However, his playoff performances have been middling, I recall for example how he singlehandedly lost the series against Philadelphia in 2008, a year where the Habs could have gone deep. Usually he's neither bad nor great in the playoffs, he's just ok.

But truly what's been unnerving is how overrated Price has been. He has now gotten himself one of the worst contracts in the NHL, which he got 1 year early, that his GM offered him as early as he could. He's been exempt from criticism from the fanbase at times, whereas Galchenyuk, Subban, Desharnais are fair game, people would somehow often rush to defend Price and say that it's never his fault. However, sometimes it was his fault. There were Habbs fans who said that he was not only the best goalie in the NHL (a stretch), but the best player in the NHL and the best goalie in NHL history. Pricemania was out of control. His reputation was overblown, probably partly due to draft pedigree, good looks, fanbase defensiveness, and a genuinely impressive career high in 2014.

A reappearance!

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Is there anyone who wouldn't take Kopitar + a randomly chosen starter instead of Price right now?

@Lafleurs Guy

Right now? No. And it would've been flipped last year when Kopitar scored 12 goals.

As for Price, it's a pretty brutal year. Some of that is on him and some of it's on the team. I personally never would've brought him back after that concussion. Regardless, I doubt that Carey Price has forgotten how to play. I think he'll be fine.

Players can have bad years, but they rarely fall off a cliff the way say... Wade Redden did. Maybe Price will turn out to be Wade Redden but I don't think so.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

Reg. season goalie stats for 2007-2008 to 2016-2017. (Sorted by MIN to shine a light on the workhorses)

Player Season Finder | Hockey-Reference.com

Perusing the list and considering factors such as

- rosters
- coaching styles
- individual playing styles/fundamentals
- hardware

I'm not sure how you can conclude that it would have been a "stretch" for the many Habs and non-Habs fans alike over the years to consider Price the best in the world.

By no means am I advocating for Price's contract or uninspired playoff performances here. Just zeroing in on "stretch".

What I see from this is that Price is part of a group of goalies composed of guys like Rask, Schneider, Crawford, Holtby, Lundqvist, Luongo, Anderson, Fleury, Miller, Rinne, Quick, Brobovsky... not separating himself to a degree that would warrant the cap hit he got, or the praise he's been getting. That's without counting the newer guys like Murray, Gibson, Vasilevskiy, Jones, etc. or the older ones like Vokoun, Brodeur or Thomas.

And those I believe are regular season stats.I place more value on playoffs performances. I do because some players deal with high pressure situation better than others. Some players have the awareness of their own game to pace themselves in a way that lets them be effective in the regular season but unleash their full potential in the playoffs. In a regular season game you don't have all players on the ice giving 100%. During the regular season a lot of guys take nights off. In the playoffs, it happens a lot less. Some players thrive in a context like this, others disappear.

Price is good, not great. Price was great one season but never in the playoffs. Other than that one season he's been good, like 10-15 other starters in this league have been good. Being in the top half, or top tier of goalies... is not anything to lose our minds over. I've always thought Subban was a better player because while he was consistently good in the regular season, he had another level in the playoffs.

You are being vindicated on Price and your vindication will grow over time. It may reach its apex during the 2025-2026 season, when Price will be making 10.5 million dollars due to accomplishments during the 2013-2014 season.

Don't get me wrong, I like Price. He's been a good goalie for the Habs, I think that he was a legitimate pick at #5 overall, and he's provided good value for all of his contracts through to this season. He's had several good seasons, one great season. However, his playoff performances have been middling, I recall for example how he singlehandedly lost the series against Philadelphia in 2008, a year where the Habs could have gone deep. Usually he's neither bad nor great in the playoffs, he's just ok.

But truly what's been unnerving is how overrated Price has been. He has now gotten himself one of the worst contracts in the NHL, which he got 1 year early, that his GM offered him as early as he could. He's been exempt from criticism from the fanbase at times, whereas Galchenyuk, Subban, Desharnais are fair game, people would somehow often rush to defend Price and say that it's never his fault. However, sometimes it was his fault. There were Habbs fans who said that he was not only the best goalie in the NHL (a stretch), but the best player in the NHL and the best goalie in NHL history. Pricemania was out of control. His reputation was overblown, probably partly due to draft pedigree, good looks, fanbase defensiveness, and a genuinely impressive career high in 2014.

¸

We will see.

I sincerely hope I am wrong on Price's character and that he rebounds next year. Well I'm sure he will, it can't get worse.

 

[the valiant effort]

EDIT: deleted

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[CauZuki]

 

[DXStriker]

Makes some sense although i thought Price would want the tournament to rebuild himself.

Gallagher is probably beat up lol so i get him . Would have been cool to see him play with Tavares/Mackinnon/McDavids wing lol if they all went

 

[habsfan909]

It is weird he signed 1 day before Radulov signed and 3 weeks before Markov left. I wonder if he signed knowing the team would do more.

Um...No!! He signed because Marc offered him 10+million/season for 8 years. Why wouldn't he sign? Seriously.... No team would have paid him that much not to mention he still had 1 season left on his contract.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Um...No!! He signed because Marc offered him 10+million/season for 8 years. Why wouldn't he sign? Seriously.... No team would have paid him that much not to mention he still had 1 season left on his contract.

Even if another team would’ve offered that much, it was guaranteed money in signing bonuses and it was so rich he couldn’t have turned it down. He’d be clinically insane not to accept it. Any thoughts he may have been pondering were likely erased the moment he heard what kind of contract and structure they were willing to hand out to him.

 

[bsl]

Oh, I’m absolutely aware it’s just an average but it’s amazing that the difference is that insignigant from a statistical standpoint even if we’re ignoring everything else.

It is significant. 1 more goal every 6 games could mean one more loss every 12 games

That could mean 6 or 7 more losses per year. Call it 5. That’s 10 points.

 

[nhlfan9191]

It is significant. 1 more goal every 6 games could mean one more loss every 12 games

That could mean 6 or 7 more losses per year. Call it 5. That’s 10 points.

If you’re playing the style of hockey we play, playing to win 2-1, 3-2 every game, yeah it could be significant. But it doesn’t have to be that way if the franchise just woke up.

 

[habsfan909]

Even if another team would’ve offered that much, it was guaranteed money in signing bonuses and it was so rich he couldn’t have turned it down. He’d be clinically insane not to accept it. Any thoughts he may have been pondering were likely erased the moment he heard what kind of contract and structure they were willing to hand out to him.

100%. Also lets not kid ourselves; Price has had (still has maybe) knee issues. When you are offered that contract there is no way you are turning it down. EVEN if he knew Markov/Radulov weren't coming back.

 

[nhlfan9191]

100%. Also lets not kid ourselves; Price has had (still has maybe) knee issues. When you are offered that contract there is no way you are turning it down. EVEN if he knew Markov/Radulov weren't coming back.

He couldn’t turn down the contract. It was to good. And considering it was signed just one day after he was eligible for an extension, this organization was desperate to get it done quick and likely had no power in the negotiations. I always refer to it as signing a deal with the devil.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

He couldn’t turn down the contract. It was to good. And considering it was signed just one day after he was eligible for an extension, this organization was desperate to get it done quick and likely had no power in the negotiations. I always refer to it as signing a deal with the devil.

That's true but I have another image that pops in my head. Like a person holding another person by a part of his body ... lol

 

[habsfan909]

He couldn’t turn down the contract. It was to good. And considering it was signed just one day after he was eligible for an extension, this organization was desperate to get it done quick and likely had no power in the negotiations. I always refer to it as signing a deal with the devil.

I think a big part was using the Price resigning as a way to deflect from in impending and ultimate loss of Radulov/Markov. And then failing to do anything at all.
Expect the unexpected. Sadly this did happen because I never expected him to do nothing else after saying that. He got me!

 

[PaulD]

It's not just that, but the signing highlights Bergevin's incompetence as a negotiator. Had he waited it out, he could have seen how this team progressed and Price's most up-to-date value to this team, and THEN handed out a contract accordingly. Instead, he signed Price too soon and at a contract where Price is being paid for putting numbers like in 2014 and 2015, a level that Price might never reach again. He showed his hands early and basically gave Price whatever he wanted and consequently damaged the cap situation for this team.

With recent developments, there is no way Price would be touching anything remotely close to 10,5 million if he became a UFA this season.

100 per cent correct

and just what you would expect from MB

 

[nhlfan9191]

I think a big part was using the Price resigning as a way to deflect from in impending and ultimate loss of Radulov/Markov. And then failing to do anything at all.
Expect the unexpected. Sadly this did happen because I never expected him to do nothing else after saying that. He got me!

100 per cent correct

and just what you would expect from MB

This guy did and still thinks Price can save him from everything and anything. That’s why he threw the contract at him. If you want to buy an elite players remaining years in the league out while also likely crippling the players chance at winning a cup, you have to jump quick and throw the cheque book at him. Bergevin gladly got bent over in negotiations and this year if anything should make him start sweating fiercely. Price isn’t going to save him.

 

[PaulD]

This guy did and still thinks Price can save him from everything and anything. That’s why he threw the contract at him. If you want to buy an elite players remaining years in the league out while also likely crippling the players chance at winning a cup, you have to jump quick and throw the cheque book at him. Bergevin gladly got bent over in negotiations and this year if anything should make him start sweating fiercely. Price isn’t going to save him.

Yea Price bent him over. Took the contract and left MB in the room. Bent over.

 

[PaulD]

Reg. season goalie stats for 2007-2008 to 2016-2017. (Sorted by MIN to shine a light on the workhorses)

Player Season Finder | Hockey-Reference.com

Perusing the list and considering factors such as

- rosters
- coaching styles
- individual playing styles/fundamentals
- hardware

I'm not sure how you can conclude that it would have been a "stretch" for the many Habs and non-Habs fans alike over the years to consider Price the best in the world.

By no means am I advocating for Price's contract or uninspired playoff performances here. Just zeroing in on "stretch".

Price is among the best. Habs fans gave him the title "the best" when he won the Hart Trophy and carried a lottery team to the second round in 015.

 

[Deluded Puck]

Price is among the best. Habs fans gave him the title "the best" when he won the Hart Trophy and carried a lottery team to the second round in 015.

Lottery is an exaggeration, but he’s turned bubble teams into division winners more than once.

That Price will be paid $10.5mil is all on Bergevin. I don’t blame Price for securing himself financially.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Yea Price bent him over. Took the contract and left MB in the room. Bent over.

He did. And he did it quickly. Took a day to negotiate. I’m sure Bergevin is still limping after that.