Price: Current state of knee injury not 'sustainable' for a whole season

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is unsure of his status for next season due to his ongoing knee ailment.

"My honest opinion is no. I don't believe that the current state would be sustainable for a whole season," Price said when asked if he thinks he can start 55-60 games next season. "In that regard, I got a lot of question marks, and fortunately for me, I've got a lot of time over the summer to prepare, so we'll see."

Price was sidelined for the majority of the 2021-22 campaign following knee surgery last offseason. He spent several months rehabbing his knee after entering the NHL's player assistance program at the start of the season.

The 34-year-old said Saturday he's still dealing with a lot of swelling in his knee. He's planning on getting a second opinion on it during the offseason, and a second surgery isn't off the table.

Price admitted the thought that Friday's game might be his last in the NHL crept into his mind.

"The whole day, it was just an exceptional day for myself. I had a great sleep, it was just an A+ day," Price said. "So if it is it, then that would be a great way to do it."

Still, Price said he isn't prepared to back down from doing his all to get back into game shape and get ready for next season.

"Like I said a little bit earlier, this is definitely tough," Price said. "But I've always been a fighter and I've always been a clawer and I'm not giving up, I'm going to continue to do my best to prepare for next season."

Price posted a .878 save percentage and a 1-4-0 record in five games this season.