« Nothing alarming » in the case of Carey Price

If Montreal hockey fans held their breath between the moment when Carey Price was exposed in preparation for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft and said Wednesday selection session Marc Bergevin did not give the impression of having lived through very agonizing hours.

“Carey came to see me and we had a lot of discussion,” said the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. We took a bet, but we were confident he would stick with us and we’re glad he did. […] We had a plan B just in case, but for us the risk was very minimal. « 

The decision to expose the 33-year-old goaltender – almost 34 – and his huge contract that will net him another $ 10.5 million per season for the next five years, in addition to leaving doubt about his state of health, will ultimately have been the right one.

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Instead of risking losing the helper Jake allen, which would have represented one of the best value for money on the market if it had not been protected, the Habs in a way aligned the Kraken towards an asset a little less essential to its formation in Cale Fleury.

In retrospect, it was a bet that paid off across the board. Especially since the GM has slightly downplayed the chances that Price will miss a good part of the next season due to an injury, contrary to what was conveyed in the rumors circulating in the last days.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Bergevin said. Carey has played every game in the last series and he’s performed really well. Like all the other players, he had ailments during the two playoff months. He’s going to see the doctors this week, and we don’t expect anything major.

“As long as they don’t get a close look, it might be six to eight weeks away. But there is always a little chance that it will take longer. We don’t know about it at the moment. « 

So there is a little question mark in the team’s net for at least the start of next season, but Allen will be there when needed thanks to Bergevin’s strategy. Where there are no more questions, it is in the case of the defender Shea weber and the attacker Jonathan drouin.

The boss has confirmed that his captain will not be an option for the next season – and perhaps even for the rest of his career – while the news is much more encouraging in the case of the Quebec striker, at the ‘gap of the team since April 28 for personal reasons.

“I met Jonathan with Dominique (Ducharme) this week, he said. We had a good conversation. He feels great, he’s focused on the task, and he’s ready to play. We expect to see him with the team at the start of training camp.

“It’s huge for us. When Dom took the helm of the team, Jo played the best hockey of his career in Montreal. His level of play subsequently decreased, we know why and it has been resolved. We are excited to see him play again under Dominique. It’s positive for us. « 

Still hope

Even though all signs point to the departure of Phillip danault on the free agent market, on July 28, and that some media reported that contract negotiations between CH and the Quebec center clan were at a standstill, Bergevin left the door open for the defensive center to return.

Danault had 24 points, including five goals, in 53 games last season and made a big contribution to the team’s playoff success by muzzling the vast majority of the opposing top offensive elements.

Video: TBL @ MTL, # 3: Danault closes the gap with a precise shot

« As long as a contract is not signed with another team, we always hope to see him here in Montreal, » was content to say the boss.

He also added that negotiations were going well with the attackers. Joel armia, who was on the team’s protection list unlike Danault, and Corey perry. Both could achieve full autonomy next week.