Rask has already slipped. He spent 6 years in the 920s and higher, averaging .926 and 2.16.
Since then, he's fallen to .917 and 2.36. And that's lower thanks to a big bounceback year last year. So we'll see if he falls back to the .910 range this year again.
Howard? There's an obvious line in his career. Everything past 12-13 is beyond his prime - except one outlier of a 26-game season.
Basically, he's been a Bernier-level goalie since 13-14 - the entire 6-year contract (plus last year's ugly season).
Anyway...
Let's put a wager on it.
How many Vezina trophies do you think Price will win over the next six years?
I say zero. How about you.
How many times do you think Price will finish top 5 in all-star voting? I'll say once. Twice tops. How about you?
How many years will price play in a majority of his team's games AND best .910 sv pct? My guess is three times.
Now - about the back three years?
How many Vezinas. I say zero.
All star top 5 finishes. I say zero.
Starts half his team games and bests .910? I say once.
Assuming he stays in Montreal and they don't completely detonate the roster around him to rebuild...
I think in the next three years, he's at least a finalist for a Vezina, if not wins it. Or, if he's fed up with the direction Montreal is going and waives his NMC to be dealt to a team with a chance at a Cup as he's talked about not wanting to plod through his career without a chance at it. The issue is that Montreal hangs him out to dry a lot.
If guys like Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Romanov, Domi, Caulfield ramp up and give the Habs a good team, I'd put him being top 5 in All-Star voting at least twice, maybe all three years. That's a really weird thing to focus in on though. Ain't All-Star voting fan voting?
Majority of games and over .910? I think he does that every single year because I think the Habs are going to be a little bit better than they were this year.
Last three years? Yeah, probably doesn't win a Vezina.
All Star top 5? I'd say that fourth year he's close. Probably not the last two... but not because he's decrepit... he will just be another goalie. And by the time we're talking 24-25, 25-26, 10M for a goalie isn't going to be superstar money. By then, the league is going to be back rolling after COVID times.
Fourth and fifth year I can see half of teams games and over .910... unless the Habs turn to a guy like Cayden Primeau or Charlie Lindgren and deal Price.
I don't think a fall off the cliff is anywhere in the near future for Price. If he's not starting half of their games, I'm thinking it's because a guy like Primeau is pushing him out of the role not because he can't play anymore.