Carey Price. Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Montreal Canadiens could trade future Hall of Famer this offseason

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Julien Trekker | Last updated May 10, 2025 1:04 PM ET

Could the Montreal Canadiens trade a future Hall of Famer to a rebuilding organization this summer?

The Habs have big plans for the offseason, and Kent Hughes is likely to consider trading a player who had a big impact on the team.

After July 1, there will be only one year left on the massive contract Carey Price signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017.

The 37-year-old goaltender announced in 2022 that he would no longer be able to play. Since then, trade rumors involving his contract have been circulating.

After all, his salary has created roadblocks for the Canadiens in recent years, and since there will only be one season left to pay him after July 1, this scenario could finally become reality.

A new report suggests that another rebuilding team could agree to take on Price's contract, given that the goalie will only receive $2 million in actual cash during the season.

Could Carey Price be traded this summer?

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Kent Hughes has major plans for his team, and freeing up Price's contract from the salary cap could help him achieve his goals.

Marco D'Amico also mentioned in a recent article that Price's contract could be an issue for the Canadiens this year due to the number of players signed to entry-level deals in Montreal.

These types of contracts include performance bonuses, and trading Price's contract could allow Hughes to avoid annual financial penalties imposed by the NHL when teams go over the cap due to bonuses.

He also revealed that an NHL source believes the $5.6 million increase in the salary floor could motivate some teams to take on Price's contract in a trade, as we saw with former captain and Hall of Famer Shea Weber:

"Price's contract is a big anchor for the Canadiens right now, and if they want to gain that full flexibility, they'll be wise to move it," an NHL executive told D'Amico.

"With the salary cap increasing in such a big way, some teams may want to cover their bases by acquiring a contract like that, just like Chicago just did with Shea Weber."

It wouldn't be surprising to see Kent Hughes make a move before the NHL Draft, considering the Habs have two first-round picks this year, but a trade involving Price is likely to go down after July 1, if it were to happen.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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