Reports coming out of Montreal claim that defenseman Andrei Markov confronted goaltender Carey Price after the team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues last Wednesday.
In the locker room immediately following the game, Markov reportedly told Price, “if you are not going to play with heart, stay home. We don’t need you here.” Reports also claim that teammates in the locker room came to the defense of both players after the confrontation.
This couldn’t come at a worse time for the Canadiens. The team has lost two in a row and sit outside the playoff picture at 9th place in the Eastern Conference. However, Markov’s comments resonate on deeper levels for the Canadiens.
It was reported earlier in the season that backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak approached management and asked for a trade. To many, Halak has outplayed Price for the better part of two seasons now while Price continues to struggle, leading many fans to believe that Halak should be the starter. Judging by Markov’s comments, he agrees with that assessment.
Both goalies are set to become restricted free agents this summer, which continues to prompt rumors that one of the two goalies could get shipped elsewhere by March 3. With all of these factors considered, and now with Markov confronting Price directly, management may begin to reconsider trading Halak and think about moving Price instead.
