Canadiens starter Carey Price has been out since November 25th with what is being called a lower-body injury. Price has been skating for the past month without his goalie equipment. Last week some discouraging video was shown by TSN showing Price struggling to skate laps. Later, he was seen limping noticeably.

So here’s why Carey Price should be shut down for the remainder of the season.

The Future

This is the single most important reason to just shut him down until next season. What happens if Price rushes back to help the Habs make the playoffs and he either aggravates the current injury or makes it worse? Just look at current Canucks starter Ryan Miller. He injured his knee February 24, 2015. Miller missed the bulk of the regular season and returned for Game 3 of the playoffs. After the Canucks were eliminated, Miller openly admitted he came back too soon. Thankfully for Miller, he was able to make a full recovery during the off-season.

If Price doesn’t take care of this injury properly now, he risks chronic injury to his groin. Whenever one injures a body part (a knee for instance) muscles naturally compensate for the injured part, making the injured player prone to other injuries in the future if the initial problem is not adequately dealt with.

Carey Price is 28 years old. He is into his prime years. He has already proven that he is one of the top goalies, if not the top goalie, in the world. There is no reason to rush him back and risk having a permanently less effective goalie because Price’s body can’t perform the way it should.

The Standings

With 27 games left, Montreal is only 3 points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who currently hold the 2nd wildcard spot. However, the Canadiens have also played 3 more games than the Penguins. This means that Montreal has little margin for error. Price hasn’t played since late November. Not only is he bound to be rusty, having missed so much time, he is also at higher risk of further injury.

Carey Price is like a thoroughbred horse. Once he is cleared to play, he will be going all-out trying to save the season. He’ll be stretching the injured leg to the max, no holds barred.

The Roster Decisions & The Draft Position

The one good thing about Carey Price’s lengthy absence is that it has demonstrated to management/coaches not only how valuable Price is to the team, but also how far they are from being Cup contenders. Not to diminish what Price did last season, but his performance masked some of the warts in the Habs’ game. For example, the Habs could get away with maybe not getting that extra goal because Price would be there to shut the door. By shutting Price down for the season, it gives Condon more experience and allows the coaching staff to better evaluate the team without Price.

Another consideration is a high draft pick. This year’s draft features another top prospect in Auston Matthews. However, any pick in the top ten will give the Habs a solid young player. Shutting Price down isn’t just the right decision for him, but for the team as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Price in net the next Habs game. However, the best decision would be to let Carey Price fully heal from his lower body injury and then have a full off-season to train and get ready for next season.

A Habs fan blogging from BC