Since it was announced that Montreal Canadiens goaltender, and team cornerstone, Carey Price would be available to the Seattle Kraken in Wednesday's expansion draft, speculation online has been running wild on whether the team would actually take him. There are compelling arguments for or against. TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun believes it's not out of the question.
"It's a hefty contract to be sure, but I'm told the Seattle Kraken are taking a deep dive internally on whether or not to take Carey Price in the expansion draft," said LeBrun. "My guess is they don't in the end, but I do think there's a better chance of it than I first thought. Intriguing."
The contract is the biggest barrier for sure. Price has a cap hit of $10.5 million per season for the next five years. He's also owed a signing bonus of $11 million come September. That said, Seattle has plenty of room to maneuver. A team that paid over half a billion dollars recently just to have a franchise likely isn't worried too much about a few million. Price could also serve as the face of the franchise and would bring in tons of cash in tickets sales and merchandise.
This situation is a little different than when the Vegas Golden Knights selected Marc-Andre Fleury from Pittsburgh in 2017. The Penguins actually gave Vegas a second-round pick to ensure the team took Fleury because Pittsburgh no longer had the cap space available to keep him. That said, Fleury instantly became the face of the Golden Knights, becoming a huge fan favourite and creating a big buzz around the team. That is very similar to what Price could do in Seattle. Nothing is guaranteed, and many fans, and certainly Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, will be on the edge of their seats in the hours leading up to the draft.
