• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

2025 NHL UFA/Trade Thread

Sal_Butera said:
For the CBA / cap brainiacs amongst you & our legal scholars …

For 25-26 season Habs currently sit w $8.67M cap space for 18-of-23 man roster - $95.5M cap ceiling

Price enters final year of contract, $10.5M cap hit consisting of $5.5M signing bonus due Sept 1st + $2M base salary

Per current CBA - teams are allowed 10% off-season cap overage = $9.55M over ceiling but need to be cap complaint prior to season opener in Oct.

WHAT IF :
- Habs follow contract stipulation & payout Price’s bonus Sept 1st

- Price files retirement papers Sept 2nd, voiding the remainder of his contract

- Price signs personal services contract w Mtl Canadiens org / say hockey ops is some capacity, G advisor etc. at a later date after retirement filing is official, and is paid his $2M or whatever amount?

This process would give HuGo $18.2M cap space ($8.67 + $9.55M overage) as of July 1st, and free up an additional $950K upon Price’s filing of retirement papers before season opener.

What am I missing? Looks like a pretty straight fwd means to gain flexibility and HuGo would not need to surrender an asset to a team to “eat Price’s contract”

Discuss…
Click to expand...
There's no reason to aside from the recapture. They have $19m in spending power.
 
I laughed off McGuire’s suggestion above of Habs targeting Aho for their 2C solution.

Now that Canes are all but officially cooked….I really do wonder…. what does psycho owner order analytics wonder boy to do this summer?

They have loads of cap space
 
Last edited:
I think we get the Jackets 20th overall pick (the one they got for Minny for Jiricek) in exchange for the Jackets second round pick in 2026 (the one we got for Laine). I expect the BJ’s to go heavy on offer sheets this summer given their $40+ million in cap space. To do that they need their own picks in 2026.

One could also expect a Price contract swap as part of a larger trade.
 
AH$$$ said:
I think we get the Jackets 20th overall pick (the one they got for Minny for Jiricek) in exchange for the Jackets second round pick in 2026 (the one we got for Laine). I expect the BJ’s to go heavy on offer sheets this summer given their $40+ million in cap space. To do that they need their own picks in 2026.

One could also expect a Price contract swap as part of a larger trade.
Click to expand...
Interesting.
 
AH$$$ said:
I think we get the Jackets 20th overall pick (the one they got for Minny for Jiricek) in exchange for the Jackets second round pick in 2026 (the one we got for Laine). I expect the BJ’s to go heavy on offer sheets this summer given their $40+ million in cap space. To do that they need their own picks in 2026.

One could also expect a Price contract swap as part of a larger trade.
Click to expand...
Price’s contract is going nowhere. They will use it.
 
AH$$$ said:
I think we get the Jackets 20th overall pick (the one they got for Minny for Jiricek) in exchange for the Jackets second round pick in 2026 (the one we got for Laine). I expect the BJ’s to go heavy on offer sheets this summer given their $40+ million in cap space. To do that they need their own picks in 2026.

One could also expect a Price contract swap as part of a larger trade.
Click to expand...
You’re high
 
Nobody is trading first for a second regardless of circumstances.

On a related note, the pick compensation rules for offer sheets are stupid and need to change. Teams shouldn't be forced to use their own pick. It's highly disadvantageous for weaker teams, which are the ones that should be taking advantage of offer sheets the most.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top