Will Carey Price ever be the #1 goalie in the NHL again?

[cg98]

I dont see why not.

 

[PensPlz]

Price screwed himself over. By demanding that contract he pretty much guaranteed that no team will be able to put a winning team in front of him, let alone a good defense to insulate him. Just no cap room.

But if he doesn't care about winning, then all the power to him.

 

[Bleedred]

Maybe.

I don’t think having a poor season necessarily means decline, especially when only 30’s years old.

I’d give him the benefit of the doubt next year and see if he bounces back, or if he follows the path of Cory Schneider by following it up with yet another poor season.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Yes, he can be great again.
He doesn't score goals though.

 

[Alex K]

I think he can bounce back and spend a few good seasons for the Habs, but I doubt that he can be the best goalie in the league. Would like him to prove me wrong tho.

 

[Devonator]

Possibly yes.....

 

[Dempsey]

He totally could. People here are so short-sighted it's ridiculous.

 

[Spazkat]

Yes.

Do people really think he can't be better than Helle, Rinne or Vas?

Rinne maybe but the others... probably not.

 

[ManofSteel55]

No. He only was for about 2 years, and now he's had injuries and plays for a team that looks to be bad for a couple more years.

 

[Tripod]

Rinne maybe but the others... probably not.

I would take that bet.

 

[Riddum]

With the garbage team the Habs are going to ice in the next few years? No chance.

 

[saintunspecified]

Put me with the yaysayers. He can do it.

 

[StevenB]

Skillwise, probably. He’s never going to be worth that contract though and I wouldn’t want him on my team.

 

[Critical13]

The more I think about this, the more I realize there isn't really a clear cut top group of goalies in this current generation.

Holtby is very good, top 3 to top 8 depending on the year.
Vas is good but so unpredictable
Helle had an amazing season but some real ugliness came out in the playoffs
Rinne seems to let in the softest of goals at the worst times, and hasn't cemented his status as a legend despite multiple Norris considerations.
Andersen had a great year but his stats are not amazing.
Bob seems to be the most talented goalie one day, and a borderline starter the next.
Rask is steady as hell but doesn't seem to steal games anymore.

I think, contracts aside, I still take Price above anyone else. Put all of them behind the same team, healthy, with no contractual bias, and I bet Carey is still the top dog.

 

[tony d]

I expect him to come around next yr. Still I never had him as the top goalie in the league, he was up there but never, to me, was he the best in the league.

 

[KingsFan7824]

For a season? Sure. If Dustin Brown, in 2018, can be 43rd in goals, about 12th in goals for RW's, and about 25th in goals for all wingers, then Price can still probably be good too.

Will Vegas make the Final? Will Washington win after their window closed? You never know what will happen.

 

[King'sPawn]

Will he? It's hard to say. I wouldn't say any one goaltender definitely WILL be the #1 goalie in the league. Could he? Absolutely. He still has plenty in the tank.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Price screwed himself over. By demanding that contract he pretty much guaranteed that no team will be able to put a winning team in front of him, let alone a good defense to insulate him. Just no cap room.

But if he doesn't care about winning, then all the power to him.

Did Lundqvist and Rinne’s contracts stop their clubs from putting competitive teams in front of them? Their contracts took up the same percentage of cap as Price’s will next season.

 

[Notsince67]

Price will always worry me in the playoffs. I see no evidence that he is not still the best goalie in the league. And I hate Montreal

 

[Connor McConnor]

Goaltending in the NHL is very subpar at the moment. I think Carey has a legitimate shot if you look at the top 5-8 goalies in the NHL right now:
1. Gibson: IMO best keeper in the league at the moment IF he can stay healthy
2. Hele: big improvement from prior year and just turned 25
3. Vasi: great "rookie" year, has all the tools but needs to be more consistent which is to be expected of a young goalie
4-8. Rask/Quick/Bob/Holtby/Rinne: all have longstanding weaknesses whether it be choking in playoffs, injuries/breaking down, a mix of both, or just inconsistent play

I wouldn't count Carey out when looking at that list above.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

He and the team have a symbiotic relationship. Let's see what MB does to improve the team in front of him.

 

[ScaryButtman]

Goalies are so unpredictable and they tend to work in weird patterns. It's easily the toughest position to predict in this league. I think Price is due for a bounce-back season. Maybe he lands back in the top 10 in the league. He could just as easily fizzle out. It's all about his mental game. If he can get focused this off-season, I think he can carry the Canadiens back into a playoff berth. We've all seen what happens if it goes the other way.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Not with that team in front of him.

Having said that, they have like 11 picks this draft. They can jumpstart that rebuild/retool in a hurry.

Get rid of bergevin.

Then maybe. Otherwise.. duck no.

 

[Chips]

I don’t think he’ll return to his peak, but he’ll be at or near the top so long as he stays healthy.

How well the team in front of him plays is also important though.

 

[Price is Wright]

This is the same league where Devan Dubnyk went from barely an AHL goaltender to the starter for the Minnesota Wild in his early 30s.