Carey Price is a soft spoken leader in the Montreal Canadiens’ locker room. Rarely (if ever) have there been reports of the superstar goaltender standing up and expressing his discontent at his teammates between periods, and his quiet confidence mixed with his otherworldly skills were sorely missed during the infamous 2015-2016 debacle that forever marked Habs fans.
When Price speaks, however, it is even rarer for him to offend anyone or say what’s truly on his mind. For that reason, his words have a tendency to sound typical of athletes’ or clichéd for the most part. Humble as always, he likes to give credit to his teammates even when he was the clear standout performer of a game. Some would go so far as to call him timid or shy, introverted yet always focused on his next step.
In speaking with Sportsnet, Price said something that will surely add fuel to the raging debate fire concerning the P.K. Subban and Shea Weber trade:
P.K. is an offensive defenseman and a risk-taker… That’s made him successful, that’s the way he plays the game. He doesn’t want to change that and I respect that. I respect the way that he plays the game … his type of enthusiasm and his ability to raise fans out of their seats. That’s a special gift and something that not very many players are able to do. But the way we’re coached on our team, the way our team is structured, that’s not what were looking for. We’re looking for a steady type of defenseman that makes quick plays and is able to move the puck right away. Shea fits that bill perfectly.
It was rumored that Subban’s larger-than-life and celebrity-like personality is what caused a division within the locker room and headaches for head coach Michel Therrien et al. Moreover, the system in place encourages a defense-first style of play, where all forwards are generally required to back-check in order to support the defenders and goaltenders.
Once possession of the puck is obtained, wingers quickly skate to the blue or even the red line in order to receive a pass from their defensemen, goaltender or center in order to start the attack immediately. This should technically lead to speedy transitions outside of the defensive zone and through the neutral area of the ice, with an emphasis on the forwards leading the way while the defensemen either go back to the bench or join the attack, depending on whether an odd-man rush opportunity presents itself, for instance. The forwards then have the choice to either dump the puck and chase after it (which has frustrated many fans) or try to create offense based on the situation.
Subban’s characteristic want to skate the puck outside of the defensive zone himself has often caused wingers to stop and wait for him to pass the puck. He would opt to lob the puck high in the air, either buying his teammates time to change up or leading to a bit of confusion on the forwards’ part as they have to time their entry into the offensive zone without triggering an offside violation. Sometimes, this would lead to giveaways on Subban’s part- he led the entire NHL with 106 in 68 games- and the opponents could therefore capitalize on scoring chances.
This mentality is clearly not in line with the system in place, and Price has essentially given Therrien a vote of confidence. With his words, the goaltender has made it clear that Subban did not respect the system and that Weber is the type of all-around defenseman capable of making crisp, timely passes from his zone in order to facilitate the transition from defense to offense without compromising his main responsibility. Weber will not be the type of player to hold onto the puck for extended periods of time, and I’m more than certain his teammates and coaches will appreciate that.
With that in mind, I believe Price has also made it clear whom he thinks is a perfect fit for the Canadiens. Weber’s reputation across the league is nearly flawless and Subban’s snub from Team Canada is telling of the reality of the situation. When the brightest hockey minds in Canada place one right-handed defenseman on the first pairing and completely ignore another, it goes to show just how much more of an impact player the former is compared to the latter.
After all, Price has the best vision of the ice from where he stands and has played with both blue-liners. He knows exactly what he’s talking about.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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