A Carey Price return to action has been a hot topic surrounding the Montreal Canadiens ever since the netminder went down with a lower-body injury on November 25. Since that 5-1 win against the New York Rangers, the team has gone 15-28-4, falling from the upper echelon of the league, to the basement, where they wither with a record of 32-32-6.

The exact nature of his injury has been kept a secret by the organization, and he has been going through a slow process to return between the pipes. He is currently practising in full equipment, and after being named to Canada’s World Cup team for the September tournament, he is reportedly set to return before the end of the season.

With the Canadiens all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, many fans and critics alike are wondering why the Canadiens would risk further injury, and a shot at a high draft pick, with Price in nets. Then again, seeing Price return will leave questions aside during the summer. One of LWOS’ finest writers, Tyler Shea, and myself, will look at both sides of the argument.

Should Carey Price Return This Season?

Yes, He Should

On the road to recovery from an injury, the biggest knock an athlete could take is not another injury, but being told that they will have to wait longer to play. Every athlete trains as hard as possible to return as soon as they can. Price last saw game action nearly 120 days ago, and considering how much skating and hard work he has put in, telling him to shut it down, and not play until September, will be devastating. Coming back before game #82 on April 9 would be a major personal accomplishment for the 28-year-old.

If the medical staff surrounding him suggest to not play until the start of next season, not only Price, but the media and fans, will be wondering how his body will react when he plays for Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey. From not playing for nearly a year, he would be thrown into the fire, taking shots from some of the best players in the world, with the pressure of a nation on his shoulders. Playing him in the dying weeks of the season, with zero pressure to win, would be ideal for Price both mentally and physically.

With the state the team is in right now, with ten players on the injured reserve, it is hard to see how much of a difference Price would really be able to make. The Habs have lost the majority of their opening night roster to the injury bug, and they boast the second-youngest lineup in the league. With many young players trying to earn their spots for next season, the Canadiens just do not have enough talent to win many hockey games right now. Even a Hart and Vezina winner would likely not change their losing ways. If anything, the games would just have closer scores, and not 6-2 and 4-1 losses.

The general consensus from fans of the team is that they should shut him down and tank for a better draft pick. With a restructured draft lottery, teams will have the opportunity to win one of the top three spots. The odds are evenly spread out, and the team with the worst record has an 80% chance of not winning. With lots of forwards available in the top ten, the Habs could still bounce down a spot or two and land a top forward. As aforementioned, with the amount of injuries, Price would not be able to single-handedly carry the team out of the basement, and out of a good pick.

There is little to no hurt to the team and their future – unless he gets hurt again – should Price come back. He wants to come back, and he wants to prove that he will be ready to play in September. A Price return to play for the Montreal Canadiens would make a lot more sense than if he returns playing for Team Canada.

No, He Should Not

When Price went down with an injury for the second time in 2015-16 on November 25th, the Canadiens fan base was divided on whether or not his injury would have the impact it eventually did. At first, it looked as if they would be fine. Mike Condon and Dustin Tokarski (now traded and replaced with Ben Scrivens) looked as if they could handle the crease just fine. Then December/January happened.

The Canadiens went on such a bad and embarrassing streak from December that they are now 99% out of the playoffs, barring an incredibly lucky run. The Canadiens were on top of the league prior to the injuries and here they are, flirting with a top 10 draft pick. With 12 games remaining on the season, they currently sit 22nd overall in the league with 70 points, and are 15 points behind Tampa Bay Lightning, who holds the third playoff spot in the Atlantic division, excluding wild cards. They would have to win every single game from here on out while Tampa, the Ottawa Senators, and the Detroit Red Wings would have to lose every single game. It is just not feasible.

Bringing Price back will guarantee one thing: he will be able to pad some points and maybe finish higher up in the standings. Definitely not playoffs, but maybe he can salvage some of the year and help the Canadiens finish 2015-16 on a positive note. Here is the thing though, do the Canadiens really want that?

It is quite obvious that acquiring a top draft pick, especially in 2016 where the talent level is a bit higher than average, would benefit the team. There are many forwards, and defensemen as well, available in the top 10 area that could give the team that top six scoring winger they have been looking for, or possibly a replacement for Andrei Markov when he retires.

Let’s face it, Price does not have anything left to prove, other than winning the Stanley Cup, which is not happening this year. He has a Vezina Trophy, a Hart Trophy, a William Jennings Trophy, a Ted Lindsay Award, a Lou Marsh Trophy (Canada’s top athlete), a 44-win season, his teammate’s respect, he is loved by fans, has won on numerous international levels, and is globally recognized as one of the best of his era.

It should also be noted that this is Washington Capital’s Braden Holtby’s year. There is nothing, and no goalie, that will topple him from the mountain Price has climbed to the top of. His missing the majority of the season certainly will put a damper on him, but fact is that the team still is not ready for contention for the Cup. The management knows what needs to be done now though and plugging those holes should be the main focus this summer.

Shutting Price down is the logical choice. The biggest pro is the draft pick the Canadiens would receive. It could be anywhere from an eighth to maybe fifth – barring a lottery victory. That pick would really put some more much needed fresh blood in the prospect pool. The Canadiens also have the Minnesota Wild’s second round pick this year, so that will give them three picks in the top 60.

Should they bring Price back, that puts the top 10 draft pick in danger. Having Price in net, no matter how bad the team in front of him is, almost always guarantees a win, or at least a close scoring game. Shutting him down keeps Condon and Scrivens in the crease and guarantees they continue the trend they have established already – win one, lose three.

Playoffs are out of the picture, he has nothing to prove nor could he make a ripple in any major NHL award talks, aside from maybe the Bill Masterson Award. The season is over for the Canadiens and the focus should now be on the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, not whether or not Price could return to the crease.

With all the variables in this situation, there is one thing we can all agree on: his 10-2-0 record, 0.934 save percentage and 2.06 goals against average is still fantastic.

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