NHL History: 30 best players in the 21st century (Updated 2023)

30 best NHL players of the 21st century: 22. Carey Price

Saying the name “Carey Price” is almost dirty at this point. He’s such a controversial figure based on his expectations and his salary, that it’s impossible to live up to (although he could do a better job). However, back in his prime, he was the best on planet Earth.

His peak included two seasons where his goals saved above average was north of 20. One season, his Goals Saved Above Average was an insane 36.7. Some stars played for 20 years that never came close to that number (Henrik Lundqvist is one of them, surprisingly). Price at his peak is better than any goalie of this era.

The issue with Price is his peak is likely over. While there are still sparks of greatness, like during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs where he had a .938 save percentage in 10 games. He did everything he could to carry the Montreal Canadiens by himself, even if it didn’t work.

Price really needs that marquee run to the Stanley Cup Final if he’s ever going to be named as one of the best ever, and he’s running out of time. However, that Hart Trophy-winning year was one of the best years in net we’ve seen in a long time. he put up a .933 save percentage while allowing less than two goals per game.

He played 66 games that season, which goalies just don’t do anymore. He’s still a workhorse that can be great. This season is a bad example, but we’ve seen flashes from him, and there’s hope one day when his career is in the books, he’ll have even more accolades.