No, the Canadiens should absolutely not trade Carey Price

Look, it's only natural to want change after a premature playoff exit, but dealing Carey Price would be asinine.

The Montreal Canadiens fell short of expectations again this season, but trading away the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner is not the solution.

He allowed only 12 goals in the first-round series loss to the New York Rangers, posting a 1.86 GAA and .933 save percentage in six games.

Maybe he should have had Mats Zuccarello's first goal in Saturday's 3-1 loss that eliminated Montreal from the playoffs early after a regular season in which the Canadiens cruised to the Atlantic Division title.

But he was not the problem in this series.

Price and the Canadiens simply ran into a hotter goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist, and the two netminders' numbers weren't all that different in the six-game affair.

It might seem obvious, but Price should be the last person blamed for the Canadiens' elimination.

Amid coaching changes, blockbuster trades involving franchise defensemen, and plenty of additional drama in one of hockey's most passionate markets, Price's consistently elite level of play has been the one constant routinely keeping the franchise's competitive hopes afloat during his 10-year tenure.

For a stark reminder of how this team would fare without him, one needs to look only as far back as last season, when an injury limited the veteran goalie to only 12 games, effectively derailing the Canadiens' season following his Hart and Vezina-worthy 2014-15 campaign.

Price is a finalist for the top individual goaltending honor again this season after going 37-20-5 with a 2.23 GAA and .923 save percentage in 62 games.

Sure, his future might be a little uncertain, considering he now has one year left on his contract and could become an unrestricted free agent when it expires. And yes, the Canadiens will have to pony up to keep him.

But what could Montreal possibly get in a trade for their all-world puck-stopper that would be as good or better than he's been?

Some might suggest general manager Marc Bergevin should explore dealing him for a star forward to help boost the Canadiens' offense, which ranked 15th in goals per game during the regular season.

But as significant as landing a prized sniper like John Tavares would be, it would also leave them with a gaping hole in net that would be near-impossible to fill.

The Canadiens played like one of the NHL's worst teams when Price was hurt, and surely Bergevin doesn't want to relive that nightmare, even if it involves an experienced but less talented replacement like Ben Bishop.

Barring a trade demand from the player himself or an expressed desire to explore free agency, Price should be signed to a contract extension before his deal runs out at the end of next season. It's a no-brainer.

Any thoughts of trading him are irrational, impulsive, and ill-informed reactions to a playoff disappointment for which he's hardly responsible.