Montreal Canadiens VP of hockey communications Chantal Machabee issued an update to reporters on Monday, saying that goalie Carey Price suffered a setback and is “essentially starting from scratch in his rehab for his knee,” remaining out indefinitely.
Price had knee surgery in late July after the conclusion of the Habs' ill-fated Stanley Cup Final run. He was originally supposed to be ready for the 2021-22 season but also took a personal leave of absence from the team before the start of the season. He had begun to skate with the Canadiens intermittently after returning in November, but they never issued any timeline for a return.
It’s not a promising sign for Price’s future following his injury troubles in his career. The 34-year-old netminder is signed through 2025-26 with a cap hit of $10.5 million.
The lack of Price in the picture gave the starting role to Jake Allen, who’s been just okay. It’s hard to fault him and his .901 save percentage with the state of the team in front of him, however, as the Canadiens have scored just 76 goals through 36 games.
A bigger issue than Allen’s play has been the lack of a reliable backup, however. With Price unavailable, the Habs claimed Sam Montembeault off waivers from the Florida Panthers before the season. He’s struggled to be a reliable NHL goalie, posting just a 1-6-3 record and .895 save percentage.
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