The NHL’s latest rule changes about long-term injured reserve and salary caps have put Carey Price back in the spotlight. The Montreal Canadiens star hasn’t stepped on the ice since 2021, when a serious knee injury forced him to get surgery.
It’s a tough situation for everyone involved. Price’s $10.5 million annual salary has been sitting on Montreal’s long-term injured reserve (LTIR) for three seasons now, giving the team some financial breathing room.
You might think the Canadiens would be eager to make a move, but they’re playing it cool.
“We don’t have to trade Carey Price,” Canadiens GM Kent Hughes told Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. “If we can find a trade that makes sense for us and another team, we’ll pursue it. But we don’t have to.”
The numbers tell an interesting story. Montreal’s currently about $5.93 million over the salary cap. But here’s the thing – putting Price back on LTIR when the season starts would give them around $4.57 million in wiggle room.
That’s plenty of space for next season.
If they do decide to trade Price, it would probably mean taking on another injured player’s contract. The San Jose Sharks’ Logan Couture or even former Canadien Shea Weber’s contract from the Chicago Blackhawks could be options. Both teams are about $6 million under the salary cap floor and might benefit from Price’s contract.
What could Montreal get in return? Recent similar deals might give us a clue.
When the Canadiens traded Weber’s contract to Vegas in 2022, they got NHL winger Evgenii Dadonov. He’s since bounced around, most recently landing in Chicago along with some minor pieces for just a fifth-round pick.
A more promising example might be Chicago’s trade of Brent Seabrook’s contract, which brought them Tyler Johnson and a second-round pick. But that was four years ago, and the market’s changed quite a bit since then.
For now, Montreal can afford to wait for the right deal. After all, there’s no rush when you’re holding all the cards.
