For Sale: One slightly used future goalie phenom

I can just see the following ad in the NHL's summer Buy and Sell magazine:

FOR SALE, one 23-year old, franchise goalie, low mileage, body in mint condition, former first round draft pick, CHL Goaltender of the Year, Calder Cup championship, Calder Cup MVP, World Junior gold medalist, World Junior MVP.  Best offer.  Call Pierre.

Pierre Gauthier has a tough decision to make this summer.  What to do with Carey Price.  Probably the right decision is to move him but that seems to be a tough decision for the franchise to make.  No one wants to admit they made a mistake.  Just ask Brian Burke whether he would still make that Phil Kessel trade.

I don't think Price should be traded because he has been beaten out for the Canadien starting job by Jaroslav Halak. There are lots of good reasons why you might hang on to both for now.  But there is one very good reason for trading him now - bad attitude!  Maybe Price has spent too much time reading Montreal columnists declaring he is the next Patrick Roy. However, his reputation has taken quite a hit and for good reason.

He has resorted to whining, sulking, poor sportsmanship, throwing temper tantrums, too much partying. These are things some coaches and managers might overlook if you deliver on the ice but Price has not. For me the last straw would have been the Game 4 against the Capitals. Washington' Jason Chimera had just scored his team's fourth goal to put Game 4 to bed.  After the goal Price fished the puck out of the net and fired it directly at the celebrating Washington players, thumping one of them on the butt. He later admitted to doing it intentionally. Within the next five minutes, Price cross-checked Brooks Laich in the back. Then as Nicklas Backstrom skated by the bench after scoring the Capitals' second empty-net goal, Price swung his stick at Backstrom.

These acts earned Price two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties.  The refs missed the Laich cross-check.  Price exhibited a level of immaturity volatility that should have to concern management.  They have a choice - either wait for him to mature and develop or make Price someone else's headache. I know what I would do.

I know that Bob Gainey was very committed to Carey Price.  I suspect that Gauthier will also be reluctant to give up on 23-year old  that might still be a franchise player.