Habs trade former All-Star goaltender Carey Price to San Jose for depth defenseman Gannon Laroque.
After years of uncertainty surrounding Carey Price's future, the Montreal Canadiens have traded the contract of the former All-Star goaltender to the San Jose Sharks along with a 2026 fifth-round pick in exchange for defenseman Gannon Laroque.
The move was in an effort to clear Price's massive $10.5 million cap hit that held the Habs significantly over the cap heading into the upcoming season. Montreal's new found cap space will give the team more room to go out and continue adding pieces if they choose and could mean they return to the playoff picture. The Habs are currently listed with +100 odds to make the playoffs on BetMGM. They are also listed with an over/under set at 90.5 regular season points with -115 odds.
Price has been sidelined since the 2021–22 season due to a combination of physical injuries and mental health challenges, including a lengthy struggle with alcohol and substance abuse that led him to enter the NHL’s Player Assistance Program in October 2021.
The now 38-year-old BC native spoke to being two years sober in a June 2024 interview, citing he wanted to take better care of his health for his family.
Going to Montreal is a defense prospect in Gannon Laroque, a 20-year-old defenseman from Edmonton, was drafted 103rd overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2021 NHL Draft and signed a three-year entry-level contract in 2022. Known for his physical play and offensive upside, Laroque broke out with the WHL’s Victoria Royals in 2021–22, earning BC Division Defenceman of the Year honors after posting 52 points in 63 games. He was named team captain the following season before turning pro, splitting time between the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda and the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder.