Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme says he wasn't worried that the Seattle Kraken would select Carey Price in the expansion draft last month.

"I was never nervous," Ducharme said Thursday, according to NHL.com's Sean Farrell. "We knew it was a possibility we could lose Carey but it was the organization's decision, and they had evaluated every situation and the reasons they believed he would stay with us."

The Canadiens exposed Price in order to protect backup netminder Jake Allen. Price waived his no-move clause - for expansion-draft purposes only - to facilitate the moves.

Three days before the expansion draft, it was reported Price was dealing with a knee issue that could require surgery and that he'd also have his hip examined. Seattle selected defenseman Cale Fleury from Montreal during the proceedings, and two days later, the Canadiens said Price was expected to be ready for next season after undergoing a knee procedure. He was given a recovery timetable of 10-12 weeks on July 23.

Ducharme echoed the team's projection Thursday, adding he'd have a more definitive update in the near future.

"He just arrived in Montreal not too long ago," Ducharme said. "I'll have more news next week, and he should be there for the start of (training) camp, and if not at the start, very soon after that."

Price's wife, Angela, wrote in early August that she "thought we were for sure headed to Seattle."

The 34-year-old goalie helped the Canadiens reach the Stanley Cup Final this summer for the first time since 1993. He's under contract through 2025-26 at a $10.5-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

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