Canadiens GM Refused Carey Price Trade Offer - What It Means for the Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens are dealing with a tricky situation trying to trade Carey Price's contract, here's how it may impact the Leafs going forward.
French-language Hockey insider Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the Canadiens may have difficulty moving Carey Price's contract amid what could be heavy demands from rival GM's to take on his contract.
The other general managers have no intention of giving the Canadiens anything away, and I wouldn't be surprised if teams demand a second-round pick from the Canadiens to acquire Carey Price's contract.
Kent Hughes will certainly not be inclined to give a second-round pick, and that's when the real negotiations will begin.
Kent Hughes will certainly not be inclined to give a second-round pick, and that's when the real negotiations will begin.
According to Hughes, the Canadiens do not feel pressured to trade Price, who will have his contract come off the books after this season, which will likely follow with his retirement.
Price has not played since 2022 due to severe knee issues that have made a return near impossible, at least at a competitive level.
Price returned for five games in 2022 but has not been able to return since, having hoped to return but now appearing unlikely he'll be able to do, something Price admits.
A likely future Hall of Famer, Price is 23rd all-time in wins by an NHLer with 361, fourth in wins from his first season to his last. Price has a career 361-261-79 record in 15 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens.
Price won the Hart Trophy in 2015, along with a Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender, as well as a gold Medal for Canada in 2014.
What the Carey Price Trade Refusal Reveals About the Market
The Carey Price situation reveals two major things about the market, first that a player like Price is expected to net a major return to take on his contract, and secondly, teams are stingy to trade an early pick.
The 2026 NHL Draft is expected to have some solid depth early outside the first round, and the Habs don't want to part with said pick knowing that the second round could produce a quality player for the team.
Montreal has the reigning Calder winner in second round pick Lane Hutson, and a late one at that at 64th overall.
Other second round picks who have been key to the Canadiens in recent years include P.K. Subban (2007, 43rd), Artturi Lehkonen (2013, 55th), and a current top prospect in Owen Beck (33rd).
The lack of interest in moving for Price, and what will likely be a high demand to take on such a difficult contract, will be challenging for other teams to make deals, including Toronto.
What This Means for Teams Constantly Tight to the Cap Like Toronto
For a team like Toronto, the tough state of the trade market will make offloading players a challenging task.
Toronto already found the challenge of acquiring players during the trade deadline in which they paid high prices for Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo, two players who in the past would not have cost a first rounder and a top prospect as their return.
The Leafs have players such as David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok who could find themselves on the way out to protect their cap room, but knowing Toronto has a financial challenge, teams won't play nice to help them, even for players that they like.
Players like Price aren't just going to make challenges for the trade market to succeed, it'll also impact teams who are looking to offload players to make their cap situation workable, and will make trades much costlier than some clubs would like.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 3 | 1197 ANSWERS Canadiens GM Refused Carey Price Trade Offer - What It Means for the Maple Leafs Will the Toronto Maple Leafs find it difficult to make trades? | ||
| Yes | 1016 | 84.9 % |
| No | 181 | 15.1 % |
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