Marc Bergevin did not hesitate two weeks ago when he was asked if a date existed for the Canadiens to stop working toward goaltender Carey Price’s comeback bid this season.

“Yeah, probably April 9,” Bergevin said at the NHL’s GM meetings in Boca Raton, Fla.

Or, the day the Canadiens run out of rope.

Price, 28, took another step in his long recovery on Thursday, joining the Canadiens on the ice for their morning skate in Tampa Bay. It marked his first practice with the team since going down with an “lower-body” injury on Nov. 25. Price first began skating on his own on Jan. 11.

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Montreal has just four games remaining after Thursday. Their 98th NHL season will close next Saturday at home against the Lightning without a playoff berth for just the second time since 2007.

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien told reporters Thursday he was hopeful Price could play at least one game, but could not make any guarantees.

Bergevin reiterated two weeks ago that Price will not take the net until he receives assurances from doctors and the medical staff that his all-world goaltender is not at risk.

“It’s really how he’s going to feel,” Bergevin said March 15. “If he plays for us this year, we’re going to be 150 per cent sure there’s nothing wrong with him. I’ll be involved in the decision with him. We’ll have to sit down and discuss how he feels.”

Montreal’s crease has quickly become crowded. Ben Scrivens was sent to the AHL on Wednesday to make for undrafted free agent Charlie Lindgren, who was signed on Wednesday out of St. Cloud State University.

Therrien said Thursday he would like Lindgren to start at least one game. The remainder of this season counts as the first year of Lindgren’s two-year contract with Montreal, an incentive to sign with the team.

“Our plan is to get Charlie into a game, but we need to give him a chance to acclimate,” Therrien told reporters.

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They also want to get a sense if Lindgren could be a viable backup for next season. Mike Condon, Dustin Tokarski and Scrivens have combined for a .902 save percentage without Price, tied for 29th in the NHL.

With Condon in net Thursday, and Lindgren likely to get one game, that leaves three games for Price to make an appearance.

The Canadiens won’t push to play Price if he isn’t ready, but it would give them added peace of mind to see him in net once or twice before the World Cup of Hockey.

“The World Cup is five months away, so I like to believe that he’ll be 150 per cent by September,” Bergevin said. “I think now about (five) weeks ago, he really turned a corner, finally.  Hopefully this time he’ll be good and we’ll never look back.”

Contact Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @frank_seravalli