What if: The Chicago Blackhawks drafted Carey Price

The 2005 NHL Draft was interesting due to no season being played. 

But let's start with Montreal. With that pick let's pretend they take someone else instead, let's say they take Gilbert Brule fifth overall. Where Chicago decides to take Carey Price seventh overall. 

So, Montreal had drafted a player known as Jaroslav Halak in the late round in the 2003 draft. Someone they didn't know would be a star. Also, they had a starting goaltender named Cristobal Huet. So, I think Huet likely remains the Canadiens goaltender for a long time and signs an extension instead of getting traded to Washington. I think by the 2008-09 season Halak is shown promise to be the Montreal Canadiens new starter raising controversy on who remains the Habs goaltender. But I think Montreal rides both where they stay a consistent team, and decide long-term Halak is their starting goaltender. Halak holds the starting position until he retires with Montreal. But as for Brule, I think he gets traded for a star player that helps Montreal long-term, let's say that player is Mike Cammalleri who happened to be a player they got in free agency. 

As for Chicago, taking Price seventh overall, I think he makes his full-time NHL debut in 2007-08 with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. This is not just exciting for Hawks fans, but hockey fans too given Price was the starting goalie in the World Juniors and Toews was a star for team Canada. Quenneville still ends up becoming their head coach except earlier than expected. I think the Blackhawks make the playoffs in the 2007-08 season. I think they finish sixth, where they eliminate the Minnesota Wild in the first round and lose to the Detroit Red Wings in round two. That off-season they sign Hossa and Campbell where they manage to make it into the 2008-09 Stanley Cup Finals losing to Pittsburgh. By the 2009-10 season their dynasty goes full force where they win the 2010 Stanley Cup, but they give Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Carey Price the contracts. I think in 2011 they finish much higher than they did in the 2010-11 season winning the conference, but this time they lose to Vancouver in the conference finals, in 2012 the Blackhawks get upset by the Los Angeles Kings, in 2013 they become a much better team nearly going undefeated winning another Stanley Cup, in 2014 they repeat as cup champions, in 2015 they pull of a three-peat, in 2016 they make it to the finals another year but lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in 2017 they get upset in round one by Nashville, in 2018 they still make the playoffs but get upset in round two by either Winnipeg or Nashville, in 2019 they make the finals and win one last time. In 2020 the expectations are high, but they lose in the second round. In 2021 they make it to the cup finals only to lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, Carey Price retired around this time. I think him being with the Blackhawks makes his legacy more appreciated long-term and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He pretty much carried Montreal through and through in the playoffs, and Chicago was the place to be for his career to take off. But that being said, this is where the Blackhawks dynasty ultimately comes to an end, where everybody is gone, but Stan Bowman still has a job because they never drafted a certain player. This bares the question around Bedard and the Blackhawks, but for the sake of argument I'm going to say Edmonton throws big bucks at Bowman because they believe he can turn the Oilers into a contender where Chicago ends up taking Bedard first overall in 2023. But also, this means a lot more outdoor games for the Chicago Blackhawks... even when they stink in 2022. 

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