The Habs ran one of the worst campaigns in their history, passing the Stanley Cup finalists in 2020-21 in 32nd place and the last, finishing in 2021-22. At the start of the season, the Canadians had Dominique Ducharme as coach and Marc Bergevin as general manager. By the end of the season, the two had left as part of a sweeping remodel in the front office and behind the counter. Kent Hughes became GM, team owner Geoff Molson brought in Jeff Gorton as vice president of hockey, and Martin St. Louis joined as interim coach. The ship was still sinking to the bottom of the ocean and problems on the ice could bleed next season. Ahead of Florida’s 10-2 first-place finish to end the campaign, the Habs were in the middle of a nine-game losing streak. Price started that last game to win his only win in a turbulent season. After helping the Canadians reach the Stanley Cup final in 2021, Price, 34, underwent knee surgery last summer. He suffered many failures in his return to the game. The 2015 Vezina and Hart Trophy winner also sought help from the NHLPA / NHL Player Assistance Program in October for substance abuse. Despite the setbacks, Price returned to play five games in 2021-22. He has been nominated for this year’s Bill Masterton Trophy, which was awarded to the NHL player who “best demonstrates the qualities of perseverance, sport and dedication to the game”. However, his future as a solid key remains questionable. “My honest opinion is no. I do not think in the current situation it would be sustainable for an entire season,” Price said. “So, in that sense, I have a lot of questions and fortunately for me, I had a lot of time in the summer to prepare.” The goalkeeper added that he will seek a second opinion about his knee, which is still swollen after the matches. When asked if there is a possibility of another procedure, Price said: “it is on the table”. The 34-year-old added that he was preparing for the season finale as if it were his last game. “All day, it was just a great day for myself,” he said. “I had a wonderful sleep, it was just an A-day. If it is, it would be a great way to do it. “ Hughes said Price would undergo his exit medical and then sit down with doctors to try to get a clearer perspective on what Price might achieve in the future. “At the end of the day, what we hope to have is clarity,” Hughes said. “Is it an injury from which Carey will be able to recover and get back in shape or not?” “Whether it ‘s an injury that keeps him from playing again, I do not think we have that answer and to tell you that this answer comes from a medical operation or imaging or whatever, I think you’re not at this point right now. ». YOUTH MOVEMENT Despite the rough end of the season, St. Louis instilled a different mentality off the bench as the Canadians turned their attention to the development of young people influenced by Hughes and Gorton. “Are we back? We’ll see,” Hughes said of the poor performances that will lead to next season. “We will get younger. We saw (Justin) Barron, (Jordan) Harris, (Kaiden) Guhle coming, (Jan) Mysak coming, (Arber) Xhekaj coming, so there will be some youth. “The goal for us will always be to build a team capable of winning year by year. That is our main goal and the decisions we have to make in the summer will be based on that.” With a youthful blue line, a potential Jeff Petry transaction is still looming. Hughes said that if he got rid of Petri he would try to bring in another veteran defender. “That would definitely be a goal for us,” Hughes said. “Our priority will be to place our young children in the right environment to grow. Therefore, to enter the training camp with three rookies in the lineup for 82 games, we will not take that risk.” Hughes said Petri would only be traded if the offer made sense to the Canadians, but the defender said he would take some time to think about his future as a Hab. “I do not want to close the door and automatically say that this is the last time I am here,” he said. With the highest odds in first overall and possibly center-forward Shane Knight, Hughes said his top priority right now was the 2022 NHL Draft. Habs GM also added that the center line will be an area of interest. “We will continue to look at options to continue to improve,” Hughes said. “I always said as an agent that it is difficult to find a centerman, so we will see who has not signed for next year.” “There is also the draft. Writing a centerman can change things.” A NEW CAPTAIN The Canadians were left without leader Shea Weber for the entire season. The defender did not talk about the availability of the end of the season at the Canadiens, but Hughes said that his condition is “complex” for league and insurance reasons. “Ever since I arrived in January, the understanding has been that Shea was not playing this season no matter what,” Hughes said. “In terms of injuries, he needed time to recover. “I think it is very unlikely that Shea will be physically fit to play again.” Montreal may have a new captain by autumn. Hughes said the decision will be influenced by what the roster will look like next fall. “I think we have a lot of kids who have taken steps as leaders and we will need that in the future,” Brendan Gallagher added. “You need leaders, you need a leader if you are going to win. I think it is important to have these steps in your locker room.” Despite his young age, Nick Suzuki said he would welcome the idea of becoming Canada’s leader. “I think for myself I want to be a leader. I’ve been trying to do a good job since I came to this organization,” said Nick Suzuki. “Obviously we have a lot of good candidates to be the next captain, older guys who have been through a lot, but for me I do not control any of them.”
