After missing almost all of the 2015-16 season, the Montreal Canadiens should have been excited to get a healthy Carey Price back into the lineup this season.
He is one of the NHL’s best goalies (arguably the best goalie) and is a total franchise-changer for the Canadiens. Unfortunately for them he has yet to play in a game this season as he continues to recover from a case of the flu that has sidelined him for the first week of the season.
Even though he was with his teammates on the ice on Tuesday, he will not play in their home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Along with that, coach Michel Therrien also said on Tuesday morning that it is too early to say whether or not Price will be able to play on Thursday night when the team hosts the Arizona Coyotes.
Therrien says that it is too early to discuss whether Price may be ready for Thursday night. #habs
— Brian Wilde (@BWildeMTL) October 18, 2016
In Price’s absence the Canadiens have turned to backup Al Montoya, who has played extremely well in his first two starts with a .942 save percentage. Still, for as well as Montoya has played he is not a long-term solution. Price is still the guy that makes the entire Canadiens team go and the sooner they can get him back in the lineup, the better.
He has not played in a regular season game for the Canadiens in nearly 11 months, last appearing in a game on Nov. 25.
Even though Price will not be playing on Tuesday night it will still be a big night in Montreal. Not only are the defending Stanley Cup champions in town, but it will also be the first regular season home game for defenseman Shea Weber in Montreal since the blockbuster offseason trade with Nashville that sent P.K. Subban the other way.