Carey Price initiated request with Canadiens to waive his no-move; dealing with injuries
Anthony Scultore
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Multiple outlets are reporting that Carey Price initiated the request to waive his no-move clause with the Montreal Canadiens. Additionally, there are reports indicating he is also dealing with injury concerns.
According to Pierre LeBrun, the 33 year-old goalie will travel to New York to have his knee examined. It is possible that it could lead to surgery. Another report by Frank Seravalli also notes a hip issue.
A calculated risk by the Habs and Price
So why would Carey Price willingly leave himself unprotected to the Seattle Kraken? It was certainly a calculated risk. Prior to learning about these lingering health issues, Ron Francis had to also consider the financial impact of selecting him.
Price has 5 years remaining on a deal with a hefty $10.5 million cap hit per season. Furthermore, if the Kraken opt to take Price, they will have to pay him an $11 million signing bonus with the way his contract is structured.
Pierre LeBrun also speculated a scenario where Seattle would select Price and then trade him back for a package of picks. The NHL already shot that down as a violation of the rules.
Price wanted to protect Jake Allen
When the news dropped, I called it one more save by Price for his beloved Canadiens. There was plenty of speculation that Jake Allen, who would’ve been unprotected was going to be one of the three goalies Seattle chose.
Allen, 30, had a solid season for the Habs going 11-12-5 with a 2.68 GAA and a SV% of .907. He also has a reasonable cap hit o $2.875 with the Blues retaining $1.475 million. Allen will be a UFA in 2023. A great backup goalie is a hard to find piece in the flat-cap era.
Frank Seravalli recently confirmed that it was indeed Price’s idea. The reasoning wasn’t about his cap hit but his health. With the looming possibility that he could be out to start the season, he wanted to make sure Allen was there to hold the fort.
The Canadiens themselves waffled on what to do. Sources say Bergevin worked the phones well into Saturday afternoon trying to find a proper return for Allen, before ultimately deciding to play the card that Price left him in his back pocket.
Daily Faceoff
At this point, it is unlikely that Francis will take Carey Price. While it is still a gamble, this one should work out for Montreal.