Habs insiders reveal what Carey Price needs to do to return

On Wednesday, a heartbreaking update on Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price was provided by The Athletic after he told them that he does not feel close to returning. Though Price hasn’t giving up hope to return one day, Canadiens insider Eric Engels for Sportsnet reports on Tim and Friends scary details on what the star goalie would need to do in order to get a slight chance at lacing up the pads again.

“In order for him to play again he would have to have a pretty risky procedure to his knee to make it all work. The success rate is not significantly high and its never really been performed on a player playing his position at this level.”

Price did mention to Arpon Basu of The Athletic what the surgery would entail. It would need to be an osteochondral autograft transfer and its success rate got Price hesitant about making the move. Price’s doctors informed him there’s an approximate 75-per cent chance of the procedure working as intended.

“But I’m also looking at it, like, what kind of damage would I do to my knee if I didn’t do the surgery and I tried to play again? Well, I’ve been told that I can do some pretty serious damage to my knee if I were to do that. And I’m not really looking to have a knee replacement done in five years.

“[W]hat if it doesn’t work and I had this surgery and now I can’t walk up and down a hill or kneel down to play with my kids?”

On top of his knee ailment, Price also revealed that he has a hip issue and an ankle issue all down the same chain. You have to think that there is too much of a risk for Price to undergo a dangerous surgery with the slim chance of ever playing on NHL ice again.

“So, I’m just trying to stay positive, and just trying to get my body to a place where I’m healthy enough to be pain-free in my day-to-day. That’s kind of my main priority right now.”