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There are a few things to keep in mind when thinking about the possibility of Carey Price getting moved. Among which is the fact that he has a No-Movement Clause. If the Canadiens would trade him, they are going to need Price to sign off on it. It's got to be a team he'd want to actually play. Additionally, Price hasn't touched the ice so far this season. It's one thing to have a future Hall of Famer goalie. It's another to have the same goalie who's already 34 years old and possibly not in great shape.
And then there's his contract. Carey Price inked a massive 8-year $84 million deal with the Canadiens in 2017, which carries a scintillating $10.5 million Annual Average Salary up to the 2025-26 NHL season when he’s already 39. At Price's age and with that salary, plus considering he's been out of action for some time now, it's hard to imagine a front office out there who's seriously considering a trade that would net them the goaltender.
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has already said that Price is “untouchable” but that shouldn't stop the speculations. Team executives say something like that all of the time and for a team like the Canadiens who've been performing so poorly this season, anything could be on the table ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline in March.
With all that being said, it is still within the realm of reality that Price gets moved ahead of the trade deadline. Montreal can still agree to pay a certain percentage of Price's salary, which would be more favorable to any party interested in the goalie.
The Oilers have just made a controversial decision in signing forward Evander Kane in an attempt to boost their chances to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they want to make an even louder noise, they could go after Carey Price.
The Kane signing should heighten the ceiling of Edmonton’s offense that already boats of the pair of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but it doesn’t address what they lack on the other end of the ice. At the moment, the Oilers are allowing the 11th most goals per game (3.33).
Netminder Mikko Koskinen hasn’t been spectacular in front of the net, as the Oilers’ no. 1 goaltender. He is sporting a 3.18 GAA and a subpar .900 SV%. He also has yet to post a shutout this season. Moreover, The 33-year-old Koskinen is third-worst in the NHL in terms of Goals Saved Above Expected (-8.2) among goalies with at least 20 appearances this season.
If the Oilers’ bold move of adding Kane to the roster does wonders for Edmonton and puts them in a position to make the playoffs, they need someone like Price – someone who is extremely familiar with navigating through the pressure in the postseason. Carey Price, of course, is going to be an expensive asset for Edmonton, but the Oilers could give up Koskinen in a package that might also include a prospect or two.
Last season, the Golden Knights had Marc-Andre Fleury stationed in front of the net. Although Vegas was not able to make their way back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Fleury’s strong play helped made the Golden Knights a force. He even took home a Vezina Trophy – his first – in the 2021-22 season.
Meanwhile, the man who stepped in after Fleury left Sin City, has not been as good. So far this season, Lehner has an admirable 17-12-1 record but only sports a 2.82 GAA and a mediocre .908 SV%. Granted that he has elevated his play since the calendar switched to 2022 – going 3-3-0 with a 2.13 GAA and .919 SV% this month – Lehner remains a shaky asset between the pipes for the Golden Knights, who are 14th in the league with 3.0 goals surrendered per contest.
Would the Canadiens want Lehner in a swap with the Golden Knights? Lehner’s current contract is not even half of Price’s from an AAV standpoint. Lehner has an AAV of $5 million up to the end of the 2024-25 season, and Montreal might not be too tempted in getting someone like him while giving up a franchise icon. And then there’s the Jack Eichel factor.
Eichel is currently on the long-term injured reserve, which means that his titanic $10 million AAV is not yet going to impact the salary cap situation of Vegas. The Golden Knights have shown they are not afraid to make head-turning moves, so who knows. They might even be willing to send Max Pacioretty back to Montreal just to make this deal work.
