In fantasy hockey there are many things that a fantasy owner fears. We fear pulling the trigger on almost every trade, being faced with the reality of rebuilding our teams and most of all we fear a highly touted draft pick won’t work out. As an owner and a critic I will say that it can be fun to watch someone pick a player on the suspicion he will be a fantasy stud just to see them hold onto said player for years and drop them. In the case of Carey Price I have seen a great deal of movement in the past season or two with many owners giving up on the former can’t miss prospect for little to no return. For those of you who have offloaded the young goaltender you should probably click to another informative School Your Pool article as you will adamantly disagree with the body of this piece.
At the age of 22 years old the Williams Lake, BC native has been heavily criticized in the fantasy hockey world. Seen as the next in a long line of dominant Montreal Canadiens goaltenders, Price has been temporarily overshadowed by Jaroslav Halak. With both Halak and Price becoming restricted free agents at the end of the season it is clear that the Canadiens will be holding on to at least one of these young goalies. The question for Montreal fans is who, the question for Price owners is where will he end up? I believe that the desirable answer to both questions is that Montreal will resign Price.
Many people will point to Price’s inconsistencies over his 3 years in the NHL so far. I on the other hand would like to highlight the fact that he is 22 years old. Carey Price has already accomplished more by the age of 22 than most goalies in their career. In 2007, he recorded a 6-0 record at the World Junior Championships helping Canada to a gold medal and earning a Most Valuable Player award along the way. In his last year playing Major Junior he was awarded the CHL goaltender of the year. In his first taste of professional hockey Price earned Calder Cup MVP honours. It is important to remember that Price is very young, by goaltending standards he is at an age where most goalies are still trying to win a starting role in the AHL, at best.
When talking about the storied past of Montreal goaltending it is worth noting that Price is already well ahead of the curve. At the age of 22, Ken Dryden had not yet made his first NHL start. By 22 Patrick Roy had a respectable record of 46-34-9 with a 3.13 GAA and a save percentage of .884. While at the ripe old age of 22 Carey Price has amassed a record of 47-28-13 with a 2.71 GAA and a .912 save percentage. I’m certainly not saying that you can bank on Price being the next Patrick Roy or Ken Dryden, but when looking at the succession of goaltending you should only expect Price to improve with age. While most players in the NHL are lucky to get a start in their early 20’s and goaltenders even later, Price has been able to cement a role as a premier starter in the NHL by 22.
In closing, all I will say is don’t be too hasty on moving the young goaltender. At a very young age he has already accomplished a great deal and is poised to become a dominant force between the pipes. If you have a chance to pick him up cheap in your league it may be a wise move. With so many people down on the young netminder and the Canadiens likely only able to sign one of their current goal keepers the future may create the perfect storm for Price and his fantasy owners.
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