In an exchange that may have flown under the radar in a small hockey market, especially late on a Friday, the Montreal Canadiens are in the spotlight, who have just traded Carey Price on the San Jose Sharks. Going the other way is a fifth round pick from 2026, while the Habs prospect Gannon Laroque gets. However, the main prize for HABS General Manager Kent Hughes is the resulting CAP flexibility.
The Canadiens acquire defender Gannon Laroque from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goalkeeper Carey Price and a fifth round pick in 2026.
News item ↓ #Gohabsgohttps://t.co/HNWKBE7FE0
– Montreal Canadians (@Canadiensmtl) September 5, 2025
Price’s necessary evil of a contract
In recent seasons, the Canadiens had the contract of the unofficially retired priceWho has not played since the 2021-22 season, on long-term injured reserve for Cap Relief. That would probably have been true this season if they had not found a trading partner in the sharks. ASH Habs defeated writer Marco d’Amico has explained in the past, in such a case all performance bonus overages count the following season against the cap.
In a young team like the Canadiens, that can harm their CAP situation. Consider how they regularly play multiple players on entry-level deals, including Ivan Demidov, who is the favorite to win the Calder Memorial Trophy, to give the Habs their second consecutive justice (Lane Hutson). So what has changed? Why have the Habs suddenly been able to treat the price?
Related: The priorities of the Top Canadiens on their way to 2025-26
This is the last year of Price’s necessary evil of a contract, in which he owes only a base salary of $ 2 million, in stark contrast with his CAP -hit of $ 10.5 million. So it is an attractive tool for a team like the Sharks, who may want to stay above the Cap floor for the entire season, but probably shoot another campaign in which they will end up sellers. If you add that the price on 1 September his signing bonus of $ 5.5 million was due, which means that his basic salary, which is ready to be covered by the insurance, the only financial obligation on which he is traded must understand, it is understandable how it has made a little tension in Hockey-Made the last few days.
In Laroque, the Canadiens get a 22-year-old defender with an admitted low ceiling, especially at the moment. After drawn up in the fourth round (no. 103) in 2021, the 6-foot-2 Laroque (201 pound), 2023-24 between the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League and the Wichita Thunder in the Echl, split in nine competitions in every competition As a result of injuries. He then also missed the whole of 2024-25. So, expectations are what they are. In some circles, however, the trading prize is expected as the first of different dominos that fall for the HABs, with their new flexibility of the CAP, because they now officially find $ 4.57 million under the cap.
After all, it is Montreal. So, inactive speculation remains at a record high, regardless of the day of the week (or month).
#Canadiens #Trade #Carey #Price #Contract #Sharks #Cap #Relief #Hockey #Writers #Montreal #Canadiens #Latest #News #Analysis