The Montreal Canadiens, currently sitting roughly $3.4 million over the 2025-26 salary cap, are exploring options to move Carey Price’s substantial contract. While placing Price on Long Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) would immediately free up $10.5 million in cap space, the organization, led by Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, is keen to avoid the financial inflexibility that comes with LTIR funds.
Unlike regular cap space, LTIR funds don’t accrue, limiting a team’s ability to maneuver throughout the season. The ideal scenario for the Canadiens is to trade Price’s contract to a team needing to reach the salary-cap floor, mirroring the multi-team deals that saw Shea Weber’s contract change hands recently. Such a move would allow Montreal to accrue cap space, providing crucial flexibility for potential trade deadline acquisitions or absorbing undesirable contracts in exchange for assets.
Potential Trade Partners Emerge
As the September 1st payment of Price’s $5.5 million signing bonus looms, several potential trade partners are in play. The bonus payment means Price’s contract, while carrying a $10.5 million cap hit, would only cost the acquiring team $2 million in actual money for the final year, making it a highly cost-effective way to reach the cap floor.
The Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, currently below the cap, stand out as logical fits. However, other clubs could enter the discussion closer to September 1st, especially those embarking on a rebuild and struggling to meet the cap minimum. The Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, and Pittsburgh Penguins — all not expected to make the playoffs next season — possess ample cap space, making them viable candidates.
The Canadiens may need to sweeten the deal by including a mediocre draft pick, a small price to pay for the significant financial flexibility a trade would provide. While such a move might not immediately land a bona fide No. 2 center, it would undoubtedly expand Hughes and Gorton’s options down the line, a considerable boost for a team harboring legitimate playoff aspirations.