** Post and video were submitted before Pierre LeBrun said on TSN “I can tell you this. You can stop speculating about that, because Habs GM Marc Bergevin told me on Tuesday he has no intention of thinking about trading Carey Price or Shea Weber and would not listen if a team phoned on Carey Price or Shea Weber before the trade deadline.”
The Montreal Canadiens have a decision to make. As we get closer to the NHL Trade Deadline and with the Habs on the outside looking in, what moves will they make? The two biggest moves would be to trade star goaltender Carey Price or Captain Shea Weber.
MICHEL BERGERON from Le Journal De Montreal believes “There is no longer any doubt: Marc Bergevin must try to exchange his two veterans.”
Looking at their numbers this season, Price is 18-16-4 with a 2.87 GAA and .907 SV%. Weber is performing a bit better with 12 goals, and 20 assists for 32 points. Their contracts are both a huge part of this discussion, as Price is 32 and getting paid $10.5 million dollars annually until the 2025-26 season. While Weber is being paid $7.86 million also through the 2025-26 season. A team might not be so hot on trading for two monster deals.
Who might be interested?
Well teams who need goaltenders or want an upgrade. The latest rumor comes from Larry Brooks of the New York Post who believes the Hurricanes might take a look. The tandem of Petr Mrazek and James Reimer might not be able to get it done in the playoffs. A Price upgrade could really take them to the next level.
Montreal should really just begin a retool rather than a rebuild. Price and Weber hopefully can still perform at a decent level in the coming years, and with the young crop of players,, the Habs have they can still be competitive. I would first look at moving pieces like Tatar, Domi, and Kovalchuk to restock a little bit. You don’t even have to move all three, Tatar alone can grab you a good pick and young piece to add to your system.
It would be a huge shock to me if the Habs moved Price or Weber. Plus who replaces them realistically? Now is not the time. While the playoffs seem unlikely with how the team has played its still very possible. Trading either of the two sets you back even further, and unless it’s a homerun trade, it will look bad on GM Marc Bergevin. Trade some of the players you believe aren’t a part of the future and acquire young talent and picks. With the $16-19 million dollars in cap space this offseason (depending on a cap increase), the Canadiens will have some money to add. Don’t rush a rebuild now, retool and restock.