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Should Bergevin consider trading Carey Price?


illWill

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Disclaimer: This isn't a blame Price thread and he is my favorite player 

 

The same old story for the Montreal Canadiens has played out yet again, the team can't score. They are missing a #1 center which would certainly help the offense. Goaltenders are generally interchangeable with the exception of the few elite. My question is, would the Habs be better with a lesser goaltender but with a star center? Price is a UFA after the upcoming season so his value is still high. He is going to become the league's highest paid goalie and that leaves even less cap space to add offense. Perhaps it's worth exploring what kind of return he could get. 

 

 

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I got mocked big time earlier this season when I questionned the necessity to dress a 9M$+  goalie.


Suggested to spend that money on other position players instead.  It was not very well received around here.

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Given that, thanks to MB's ineptitude, the team is now in a position where it needs to make bold moves if it wants to win before the core declines, no idea should be off the table.

 

However, Price has an NTC. Imagine if you approach him about being traded and he vetoes it? You'd basically burn his loyalty to the organization. He would then likely walk away once he's UFA and you lose him for nothing.

 

Goalies also seem to be devalued on the trade market. Maybe this wouldn't be true of Price. But still, it's a factor.

 

Finally, the goal is to win a Cup, not trade stars for prospects and picks. This means that if you trade Price, you need to make sure you have a high-end goalie to replace him. Where does that G come from?

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28 minutes ago, Lovett's Magnatones said:

 What team is a star goalie away from a Cup with a star center to spare? 

 

Philly could shore up their never ending search for a goalie and trade Claude Giroux. Winnipeg has alot of pieces and are terrible in goal. Not that they're a star goalie away from a Cup but what they have been doing hasn't been working 

 

26 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

This means that if you trade Price, you need to make sure you have a high-end goalie to replace him. Where does that G come from?

 

There's no replacing MVPrice, but there are plenty of serviceable goalies out there via UFA like Miller, Bishop, Bernier and Elliott. Or one could be involved in the trade like a Greiss or Luongo. Charlie Lindgren is 3-0 in the NHL :lol:

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Claude Giroux, a centre who scored 58 points this year and has seen his point totals dip in each of the last four years.  No interest in that for Carey Price. 

 

On another trade, maybe, but not price. 

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It's simple.

 

If Carey says no to an extension and wants to test the free agent market, you trade him and blow up the team.

 

If Carey says yes to an extension, you pay whatever he asks. I would rather pay Price $12 million than pay anyone else available in the league $6 million and watch Bergevin spend the free money on grinders. Remember what he did with all that cap space he saved on signing Subban to a bridge? He got Briere. Who turned into Parenteau. Who turned into a buyout.

 

Pay your stars. Bargain with your depth.

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10 minutes ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:

It's simple.

 

If Carey says no to an extension and wants to test the free agent market, you trade him and blow up the team.

 

 

Sure is hard to argue with this.

 

What gets trickier is if he projects ambivalence. 'Well, I'd like to re-sign, but I need to see that you are making the moves that will give me a contending team.' Or, 'well, I'm interested, it will depend on the offer.' The former makes things conditional on what you do between now and the trade , and how well those moves work out - a horrible spot to be in, if you're GM. The latter is also tough because it's fundamentally non-committal.

 

I wouldn't be totally averse to blowing it up and rebuilding, to be honest. Right now the likeliest projection for this group is stagnation/diminishing returns followed by a long period as a cellar-dweller due to the depleted system and mediocre player development. I believe it will take a major, swing-for-the-fences move to change that trajectory. That being said, if Price wants to stay, then we probably should keep him - for the reasons I sketched out earlier.

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Carey Price is not the problem! The problem is that this team can't score.  I would trade Chucky and/or Sergachev before contemplating a trade involving Price.

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6 minutes ago, Habsfan said:

Carey Price is not the problem! The problem is that this team can't score.  I would trade Chucky and/or Sergachev before contemplating a trade involving Price.

 

This is exactly the point of this thread. You're right that the problem isn't Carey Price, it's that they can't score. Top line centers don't just grow on trees so you have to give something up to get one. The team plays great team defense as it is and even if they downgraded on a goaltender, they wouldn't be too bad off in goals against. The plus side is that they'd add a legit offensive threat which has plagued this team for awhile now. Trading one of our best scorers and/or our blue chip offensive defenseman for offensive help doesn't make sense. 

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19 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Sure is hard to argue with this.

 

What gets trickier is if he projects ambivalence. 'Well, I'd like to re-sign, but I need to see that you are making the moves that will give me a contending team.' Or, 'well, I'm interested, it will depend on the offer.' The former makes things conditional on what you do between now and the trade , and how well those moves work out - a horrible spot to be in, if you're GM. The latter is also tough because it's fundamentally non-committal.

 

I wouldn't be totally averse to blowing it up and rebuilding, to be honest. Right now the likeliest projection for this group is stagnation/diminishing returns followed by a long period as a cellar-dweller due to the depleted system and mediocre player development. I believe it will take a major, swing-for-the-fences move to change that trajectory. That being said, if Price wants to stay, then we probably should keep him - for the reasons I sketched out earlier.

Well at his interview this morning, he said he wanted to come back to Montreal, (loves it) and believes they are able to get the pieces to build a cup winner. Was not ambivalent at all.

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20 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

What gets trickier is if he projects ambivalence. 'Well, I'd like to re-sign, but I need to see that you are making the moves that will give me a contending team.' Or, 'well, I'm interested, it will depend on the offer.' The former makes things conditional on what you do between now and the trade , and how well those moves work out - a horrible spot to be in, if you're GM. The latter is also tough because it's fundamentally non-committal.

 

A good GM would cut the bullshit with Price and his agent.

 

"If you're in for the long haul, let's sign you now to what you want. If you're not, we're going to move you this summer. There is no one year test. We can't move forward without knowing."

 

The only other option is if Bergevin knows Carey doesn't want to go anywhere (like Stamkos in Tampa) and leans hard on him with that. I mean, he tried that with Subban and failed but Subban wasn't an upcoming UFA.

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4 minutes ago, habs rule said:

Well at his interview this morning, he said he wanted to come back to Montreal, (loves it) and believes they are able to get the pieces to build a cup winner. Was not ambivalent at all.

 

I'm sure that's true, but let's face it, he's going to say exactly that to the media no matter how he actually feels. (For the record, I believe he is being sincere in saying these things. If he wanted to leave Montreal he could have done so during the 'Halak' episode).

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Just now, Machine of Loving Grace said:

 

A good GM would cut the bullshit with Price and his agent.

 

"If you're in for the long haul, let's sign you now to what you want. If you're not, we're going to move you this summer. There is no one year test. We can't move forward without knowing."

 

The only other option is if Bergevin knows Carey doesn't want to go anywhere (like Stamkos in Tampa) and leans hard on him with that. I mean, he tried that with Subban and failed but Subban wasn't an upcoming UFA.

 

Yeah, the 'cut the bullshit' argument makes a lot of sense. The future is hanging in the balance, and the sooner we have certainty on this front, the better for everyone. As for playing hardball with Price, no way. He is The Man in that dressing room, you need him fully on board, not resentful or disappointed.

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50 minutes ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:

It's simple.

 

If Carey says no to an extension and wants to test the free agent market, you trade him and blow up the team.

 

If Carey says yes to an extension, you pay whatever he asks. I would rather pay Price $12 million than pay anyone else available in the league $6 million and watch Bergevin spend the free money on grinders. Remember what he did with all that cap space he saved on signing Subban to a bridge? He got Briere. Who turned into Parenteau. Who turned into a buyout.

 

Pay your stars. Bargain with your depth.

 

Hahahahahahaha

 

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14 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I'm sure that's true, but let's face it, he's going to say exactly that to the media no matter how he actually feels. (For the record, I believe he is being sincere in saying these things. If he wanted to leave Montreal he could have done so during the 'Halak' episode).

 

He thought he was getting traded. He said it in a few interviews. According to some reporters Gauthier took calls for both and received significantly better packages for Price. Instead of jumping on the package, he realized they were seeing what he was seeing and decided to keep the guy who had more value.

 

I've heard rumours of what Philadelphia was offering at the time. No idea if true (unlike Pacioretty/Simmonds at the draft it wasn't written about) but I've heard stuff like Giroux/Carle for Price in 2010. Also heard the Sharks were offering Vlasic/Clowe for him. When the offers were like for Price and not Halak (Blues offered Eller/Cole of course, Philly I've heard offered crummy and then when they found out Halak went for just Eller/Cole they were disappointed they didn't pony up) Gauthier decided to keep the guy with more value.

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If Price gets traded then MB has been a total failure IMO...first PK and then Price (not to mention the hack job on Galcheyuk)...MB can write a bestseller : How I Facked Up the HABS

 

instead of trading Price let's just get rid of MB.

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2 hours ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:

 

A good GM would cut the bullshit with Price and his agent.

 

"If you're in for the long haul, let's sign you now to what you want. If you're not, we're going to move you this summer. There is no one year test. We can't move forward without knowing."

 

The only other option is if Bergevin knows Carey doesn't want to go anywhere (like Stamkos in Tampa) and leans hard on him with that. I mean, he tried that with Subban and failed but Subban wasn't an upcoming UFA.

TB had the depth to play the brinkmanship game.  They went deep in the playoffs without Stamkos.  With stamkos, one of the main rwasons for his decision to stay was that he didn't seem to want to go to a big market.  Price is already in the toughest market there is.

 

If price doesn't want to resign you move him.  And not for a stupid move that at best is a lateral move like the Subban  Trade.  You don't move him unless you are getting a deal like draisatl+

 

They should be trying to get him re-signed on the first day they can - July 1 and not let it drag on.

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1 hour ago, THE Bobby Orr said:

If Price gets traded then MB has been a total failure IMO...first PK and then Price (not to mention the hack job on Galcheyuk)...MB can write a bestseller : How I Facked Up the HABS

 

instead of trading Price let's just get rid of MB.

100% agreed.  IMO he is approaching milbury like competence.

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2 hours ago, THE Bobby Orr said:

If Price gets traded then MB has been a total failure IMO...first PK and then Price (not to mention the hack job on Galcheyuk)...MB can write a bestseller : How I Facked Up the HABS

 

The forward will be written by Rejean Houle and Mario Tremblay. Can't miss bestseller with those experts. The last guys who got rid of an all world goalie. hmmm.

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I just heard MB being interviewed...he was asked about Price... and MB said he's not going anywhere...

 

Also heard CJ talk about  Galchenyuk.  . He said Chucky is not ready (yet) for the #1C job...needs to work on his blah blah blah...they both had a good talk and blah blah blah...he didn't put him on the top line because blah blah blah  Basically its the same stuff we've heard before

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I read the synopsis on EOTP, but based on that, Price is Bergevin's guy to the end, Galchenyuk is going back to W because he can't fulfill C duties away from the puck, and they are throwing up their hands on Beaulieu, who I am sure will be gonzo this summer.

 

Didn't sound like a very useful exercise. 'It's up to the players' seemed to be the tacit message.

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56 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

I read the synopsis on EOTP, but based on that, Price is Bergevin's guy to the end, Galchenyuk is going back to W because he can't fulfill C duties away from the puck, and they are throwing up their hands on Beaulieu, who I am sure will be gonzo this summer.

 

Didn't sound like a very useful exercise. 'It's up to the players' seemed to be the tacit message.

 

Getting lost in this is that Beaulieu put up 28 points this season, tied with Jeff Petry (in fewer games.)

 

He might not be a great top 4 defenseman, but you'd almost have to consider him an elite 3rd pairing guy. Honestly, I'd protect him over Benn... even if he's on the trading block.

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