Carey Price's Future (It's Not in Montreal)

Let's face it: Jaroslav Halak is the future of Montreal. First, he wrestled the starting job from Carey Price (although it should be said Price didn't play badly...he just happened to lose). Second, he posted some outstanding performances the likes of which had him being compared to the other Montreal net-minding greats. While the rest of us outside of Habs Nation laugh hysterically at those comparisons, everyone shouldn't write off the hyperbole. The kid's good. Real Good. So far in the postseason he has not lost a game in which he's faced more than 40 shots. And despite some shaky performances in those games that he hasn't faced that magnitude of shots, it's clear that he's the Habs' goalie of the future.

Alas, poor Carey Price. The first round draft pick that was once touted as the future of the franchise, has now been relegated to a back up role on the team. He's also going to be an RFA this offseason. So let's get excited, and start spewing ridiculous trade ideas. I personally think he'll stay in the East, just based on which teams need goaltending the most. The only destination in the west that he would make sense to go to would be Edmonton...unfortunately for Edmonton, almost every team in the NHL would trade for the right to NOT have any of their players (or cap hits) on their rosters. So where would be the smart place for Price to go? What franchise has been so unbelievably desperate for a goaltender for so long that they were actually scared for their situation in net when they lost Ray Emery?

Philadelphia.

Philadelphia needs a goalie. More importantly, it needs a franchise goalie that it can keep for a long time. And perhaps most importantly, they need one for cheap, and they need one from a team that is buying what the Flyers are selling. Price will go cheaper than he probably should. He's an RFA, the Habs won't want to give him another contract, and so the Flyers shouldn't have too much trouble wrestling the right to sign him from the Habs. Plus, the Canadiens, a notably undersized team (cough, Gionta, Cammalleri, Bergeron, cough) would sure love to get a big bruiser in return for what's become a spare part. The addition of a player like Hartnell (though it would never happen) would immediately add toughness and grit to the fluffy Habs. What might make more sense would be a trade for Claude Giroux. The kid is scrappy, and he's young (and he'll fit in amongst The Midgets of Montreal). He'll really be a good player in the league. The details are food for further thought. But Philadelphia is the place for Price.