Kent Hughes admits that Carey Price's injury has changed his plans
Due to the absence of Carey Price, Kent Hughes had to manage his team in a different way this off-season. While some expected Price to be back in net in 2022-2023, the Habs GM was not delusional and was ready for that possibility when the 2021-2022 season ended.
In a recent interview Hughes had with The Athletic's tipster Pierre Lebrun, he admitted that having his star goalie healthy would certainly have changed the team's plans for this year.
"The ones that have had that kind of goalie, when they leave, there's usually a void. Obviously, the Rangers are not one of those [as they went from Henrik Lundqvist to Igor Shesterkin].
"If we have that in-house or were able to find it, that would be incredible, but it's certainly the position that's the hardest to find someone you can rely on consistently year in and year out. Having one of those can have a huge impact."
While there could be some interesting options waivers or free agent market next summer, being able to get an elite goalie is not an easy task.
Agreed, with a healthy Carey Price at his position for the start of the season, the Habs could perhaps hope for more success. While Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault can occasionally step up to the plate, Price's presence would reassure his teammates.
With Price unlikely to return to action this season, Kent Hughes will have to hope that his goaltenders perform well or else it could be another long season at the Bell Centre.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the CH would have made the playoffs this season with Carey Price? | ||
| Yes | 124 | 51.5 % |
| No | 117 | 48.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
