Canadiens acquire Laroque in trade with Sharks that sheds Price contract
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The Montreal Canadiens have traded the contract of goaltender Carey Price and a fifth-round draft pick in 2026 to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenceman Gannon Laroque.
Price is on the final year of his eight-year, $84 million contract which holds a cap hit of $10.5 million.
The move comes after the Canadiens paid Price $5.5 million on Sept. 1 as part of his signing bonus, leaving him owed $2 million for the rest of the season.
Moving Price’s contract gives the Canadiens some cap space to improve their roster without having to wait for the regular season to begin in order to move him to long-term injury reserve.
The 37-year-old has not appeared for the Canadiens since the 2021-22 season after sustaining a significant knee injury.
Price is one of the most decorated goaltenders of his generation after a 15-year career spent entirely with the Canadiens.
He had a career season in 2014-15, posting 44 wins, a .933 save percentage and 1.96 goals-against average, sweeping the NHL awards with the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and the William M. Jennings Trophy. He also took home the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2022.
Drafted fifth overall by Montreal in 2005, Price was a seven-time All-Star and had a career 361-261-79 record with a 2.51 GAA and .917 save percentage.
Price also helped lead the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2021, going 13-9 with a 2.28 GAA and .924 save percentage before they bowed out to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
On the international stage, he backstopped Canada to gold at the 2007 World Juniors, winning tournament MVP and best goaltender honours. He also led Canada to gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
Price entered his first year of eligibility for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025.