Lightning's BriseBois: If Carey Price retired now he'd be in HOF

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois praised Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price on Sunday ahead of the Stanley Cup Final matchup between the two teams.

"He's got a Hall of Fame career if he retires right now," BriseBois said, according to The Athletic's Arpon Basu. "That's just the reality."

BriseBois was the director of player operations with the Canadiens in 2005 when the team selected Price with the fifth overall pick. He said the club's management considered Price a "generational prospect."

Price has long been viewed as one of the league's elite netminders. He's won virtually every award and championship that a goalie can throughout his career, except a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy.

The 33-year-old led Team Canada to gold at the world juniors in 2007, at the Olympics in 2014, and at the world championship in 2016 with dominant performances. He was named the NHL's MVP in 2015 while also winning the Vezina Trophy, William M. Jennings Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award - becoming the first goalie to win all four in the same season.

Price's regular-season play has declined significantly over the past few years, and his performance has been inconsistent. However, the veteran has proven in the playoffs he can still be one of the league's top goalies.

The Canadiens are in the midst of an improbable playoff run, and they're playing in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993. Price has been a big reason for the club's postseason success while recording a .934 save percentage and 2.02 goals-against average.