The Montreal Canadiens were not happy with their number two goaltender last season. Antti Niemi struggled to give the Canadiens a chance to win when Carey Price took a night off. He allowed three goals or more in all but three of his starts last season and was all but given up on over the final two months of the season.
Price played almost every game from early February to the end of the regular season, and though he played well, that is not a recipe for success in the National Hockey League. Most of the best teams around the league have a solid tandem of goaltenders that they can rely on.