Can the Montreal Canadiens and Carey Price Make it Work?
It has been sometime since the Montreal Canadiens General Manager (GM) Pierre Gauthier traded away playoff hero Jaroslav Halak. Even though most hockey fans and experts were confused by the move, there was an assumption that the Montreal Canadiens (the Habs) must be close to signing goaltender Carey Price. However, it turns out, that was not correct.
The two sides are still locked in a stalemate that seems to be creeping dangerously towards arbitration and a one-year contract for the young goalie. It has even been suggested that the Canadiens may trade Price for another number one goalie.
Apparently, the two sides are locked down in the length of the term, something that does not come as a surprise considering Price’s lack of consistency over the past two seasons. Price could be interested in locking up a long term deal with the club because of his recent play, while the club is not certain they want to commit to something so definite with Price’s spotty record.
Halak Trade
The Price saga makes the Halak trade even more difficult to understand. The St. Louis Blues were able to sign the goaltender in less than a week, to a reasonable $3.75 million contract. To make matters worse for Canadiens fans, the Habs are currently $4.7 million below the cap, so they would of had plenty of room to sign the playoff net magician.
The trade is made even more confusing by the fact that the team moved Halak even before they had Price signed. Certainly, in retrospect, this is an easy comment to make, however, Gauthier should have foreseen this possibility. Now Price knows he is the only goalie around and he has another chip at the bargaining table.
Perhaps the most confusing part of the Halak trade was the fact that he was traded at all. Certainly the youngster demanded more on the market, but that is because he was the single reason they made it as far as they did in the playoffs. The Slovakian's play was beyond impressive, while Price sat on the bench and watched.
Price Negotiations
Price and the Canadiens have been going back and forth for about a month now, and they cannot seem to come together. Montreal fans might want to get nervous if Price does elect to go to arbitration. In arbitration, players are generally given healthy one-year contracts, and for Gauthier that is not a good thing.
Gauthier needs to get Price signed to a three or four-year deal, worth a reasonable number, perhaps a contract that tails off in the last year. A contract like this would be preferable because Price has not been consistent and signing him long-term could hurt the Canadiens against the cap in the future. In addition, he does not want to sign him for a year because if he has a strong season like his first, Gauthier will have to dole out the big bucks in order to get him locked up.
The Canadiens Options
The Montreal Canadiens find themselves with three options, none of which are ideal. The first is to give in to Prices demands, which would likely mean signing him to a long-term contract. The second option is to take the goaltender to arbitration and hope they can get out of there with a one-year deal under $3.5 million. If this were to happen, Gauthier may hope that Price does not have a great year, making him easier to re-sign in the off-season. The third and final option is to trade his rights. This is the most difficult, but could be the most fruitful option for Montreal.
It would be disappointing to lose both of their young goalies in one offseason, but if the Canadiens cannot get what they want from Price, they have to look at moving the youngster.
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