Carey Price makes major admission on rumors of potentially being traded away by Canadiens

On Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens' beloved goalie Carey Price made it clear that a return to the NHL is unlikely to happen, marking the end of his time with the franchise. This has been an emotional week for the Habs fans.

Price's decision was neither surprising nor expected, as everyone within the hockey community had long been aware that his tenure in the NHL could come to an end at any given moment and a return is unlikely.

The 36-year-old goaltender was instrumental in helping the Montreal Canadiens reach the 2021 Stanley Cup final, where they ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Price sustained a torn meniscus during that series and had to undergo knee surgery in the offseason.

However, ever since his surgery, Carey Price has encountered several setbacks in his attempt to return to the crease. He had to miss the entire 2022-23 season due to complications and played his last game in April 2022, appearing in only five games that campaign.

Price is currently under a contract with the Habs that will carry a cap hit of $10.5 million for three more seasons. While speaking to the media, the 36-year-old goalie addressed whether he'd be open to having his contract traded away from Montreal:

"Everyone knows hockey is a business- money management & cap space is part of that; I'm going to a MTL Canadien for the rest of my life & I'm very proud of that so I'm willing to help this team in any aspect"

Price further emphasized his loyalty to the franchise by extending his willingness to support the team financially, including in case his contract needs to be traded:

"whatever the team has to do - if they have to move money to make this team better, I'm here to help in any way I can."

It is important to note that Price has not made an official announcement of his retirement and therefore, is expected to remain on the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) until then.

Carey Price's NHL stats and a remarkable career

Price is widely regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders to ever guard the nets in the NHL. He is one of the only two goalies, along with Jose Theodore, since 2000 to have won the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the league.

He was drafted No.5 overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2005 and has remained with the franchise ever since. Carey Price is the Canadiens' all-time leading goaltender in games played (712) and wins (361).

Overall, Carey Price has posted a 361-261 record with 49 shutouts and a 2.51 goals-against-against-average with a .917 save percentage in 15 seasons. In 2014-15, he was honored with the coveted Vezina Trophy as the league's best goalie, posting a remarkable record of 44-16-6 record and a 1.96 goals-against-average with a .933 save percentage.