Canadiens trade Carey Price's contract to Sharks

The Montreal Canadiens traded Carey Price's contract and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for minor-league defenseman Gannon Laroque, the teams announced Friday.

Price, who hasn't played since the 2021-22 season due to injuries, conceded in 2023 that his playing career is over. However, with one year remaining on his contract, he has yet to formally retire.

The $10.5-million cap hit on Price's contract ensures the rebuilding Sharks can comfortably reach the cap floor. The Canadiens, meanwhile, now don't have to begin the season using long-term injured reserve, allowing them to accrue cap space throughout the campaign. They currently have $4.568 million in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Price spent his entire 15-year playing career with the Canadiens, racking up a franchise-best 361 wins. His 49 shutouts rank third in team history. He won the Hart and Vezina Trophies in 2014-15 when he led the league with 44 wins, a .933 save percentage, and a 1.96 goals-against average.

The 38-year-old also helped an underdog Canadiens team reach the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. On the international stage, Price started for Canada in gold-medal winning efforts at the 2007 World Junior Championship and the 2014 Olympics, as well as a first-place finish at the 2016 World Cup.

Price didn't make the Hockey Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility in 2025, but he's expected to be enshrined at some point.

Laroque, 22, spent last season split between the AHL and ECHL, tallying four points in 18 games. The Sharks drafted him in the fourth round in 2021.