So we got two RFA goalies at the end of the year. We may not be able to keep both because of salary cap issues. Price is supposed to have more potential. Personally I don't see it. He's just a big guy that doesn't play big and lets in bad goals. Halak is the man, IMO, and should be kept. Who should we keep, who should we trade?

Personally, I don't think the cost of the two goalies in terms of cap space should change much. Currently, Price's cap hit is 2.2 million and Halak's is a shade under 800k. Price should not come close that 2.2 figure and Halak should just about double his current number. That could put each goalie around the 1.5 million mark in my opinion. Of course, Price won't be happy about a paycut and Halak will likely want triple his current salary.

I dont think keeping Price would be a problem. Dont think he could get that much raise anyway. Halak on the other hand will be the tricky one to resign.
I say I want both resigned and Halak appointed no1 and hopefully Price accepts a 2-way deal and becomes the no1 for hamilton at least for a start. I might be dreaming, I dont know. Can Price be offered a 2way deal?

No, he can't. He's done in the AHL unless there are 30 teams that believe he's not a NHL goalie.

Both.

Agreed. We need to do all we can to keep both. I haven't given up on Carey yet. I'd like to see him for another 2 years. By the time he'll be 24, we'll have a way better idea of what we can expect from him in the future.

As for Halak, I think it's clear he should be the go to guy this year!

Price reminds me of Marc Andre Fleury. High draft pick, loads of potential but still hasn't lived up to his billing. Lucky he's on a great team!

Won't vote, because "Both" isn't an option

Both.

Both. How many times do we need to ask this stuff?

Also, neither isn't an option that is given. Cedric Desjardins for starter!

Keep both for sure, unless they get a great trade offer in return, which is doubtful.

Another one of these?

Why is it all the Halak lovers make these threads just to have a place to trash Price as a bust at 22 years old?

Where was Halak at 22 years old again?

NEITHER!

Go out and get a Brodeur or Loungo and have a scrub back him up (Racicot or equal).........then (and only then) will this idiotic goaltending debate end.

I've added "both" and "neither" as options as people are saying that's what they'd vote.

We sign both of course but I think the Habs should be worried about an offer sheet going to one of both of those guys.

Even a reasonable offer sheet would be too much for us to match unless we give up on Plex or shed some serious salary.

Of course you sign both.

however, you trade Halak

Cue jackp in 3...2...1...

i dont think u can offer a paycut to an RFA. that'd be less than their qualifying offer lol

Probably not, but much of Carey's cap hit is bonus. I've never heard of rules governing bonuses in business. It's a bonus.

Price's QO will be much less than the $2.2 M cap hit he's getting this season. Think of a player like Latendresse last season, he signed for less than what he was making (from 850,000 to 803,250). Come to think of it, Pouliot took a major pay cut this year when he first re-upped with Minnesota as well.

You are absolutely right. If somebody offers Price 2.9 million$, that would only give the habs a 2nd round pick as a compensation. I'm not sure if we have the room to offer Carey almost 3 million$ per year, when he's clearly not ready to be a no. 1 goalie in the league! That is why it is very important for Gauthier to get Plex signed ASAP!!!

Imagine an offer to both Price and Halak for 2.9 million each. We can't match so we loose one or both for second round picks.

I can see Burke offering either goalie 2.9 million.

I'd rather not even think about it!

Desjardins would be thrilled.

It wouldn't be a paycut, per se. His salary is only 850k, the rookie maximum. The rest is all bonus money. A 1.5 million dollar salary would be almost double his current salary.

I don't see anyone offerin Price that kind of cake. Maybe Halak, but even he only has this year on his resume. Leclaire, Mason, Price, all goalies that were amazing one year and fell off the map the next year. 2.9 is a lot of money for a goalie that hasn't had more than one good season. Halak could get it though. That would be horrible.

Burke has Giggy now. He can't afford it.

We should sign both, they are young and need time. They both have great upside. And what a duo... when and if we are ready to make a major decision cause they are both in their PRIME and prove to be #1 goalies then we can consider picking one over the other, but for the next three years at least we should hold both.

The other questions to ask is whats the alternative? I really don't see any other young backstop ready to take the #2 spot...

Definitely both.

Except Price is still only 22 years old...I can see a lot of teams offering $2.9M offer sheets if they thought it would work and there wasn't a general unwritten code that many GM's still follow around offer sheets in general.

Yeah 2.9 mil is peanuts to risk on a potential franchise goalie. I don't think offer sheets are taboo per se the problem is inflated offer sheets. If someone were to sign Price to a 6 mil offer sheet then there would be hard feelings and Burke would have another melt down

Th BCHabnut I think that Giggy is UFA.

Nope, one more year with a $6M cap hit.

Times like this I'm glad I'm not a GM. I would hope to be able to sign both. I have more confidence in Halak and am also persuaded that Price has exceptional potential form that may or may not ever be actualized. Continuing with these Aristotelian and Thomistic terms, the final or end cause is great hockey in the service of happiness.

Signing both will keep me happier next year.

If I were forced to pick one, I would probably keep Halak as the devil I know, though that could be a major boo-boo on my part. I think all Price supporters make very solid arguments.

You don't follow the Bulldogs I take it?
http://www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/league_roster
Here is a decent #2 in the system, or so I believe.
But I still want to sign both.

Yeah, people are forgetting that we have a goalie who is dominating the AHL right now. In fact he has a season GAA less than 2. I don't feel like doing teh math, but comparing him to the other top goalies in the AHL, I think he probably has the best wins to games played ratio.

Halak gets the start tonight. Not sure I agree with that completely. Price has been stellar vs. the Bruins and Halak had a pretty weak showing against the Oilers despite the win.

I still would like to stand on making good offers to both goalies, should they not accept, keeping a few bucks to match a few counter offers proposed to either but in the end if I loose either to a bunch of 1st round and 2nd round picks. I don't think I would cry.

Now if I'm in PG's shoes on draft day and there is an out side chance at the Hall kid for either 2 and ??? and ??? then that would most def get my ears open.

Bhaa humbug what do I know... IMO, CP will one day be a real NHL back stop and as for JH well... I think, he can get to be like another former habs goalie... T. Vokoun (my bad if I mis-spelled).

I think PG will find some solution to re-sign Plex via trade of some player, see players. I think that is the better move but, the school of thought that suggest a great team is built the net out always clouds this stance for me. And due to that I would really try hard to keep both goalies and make Plex in that sence a back up signing should I loose either goalies... something that is a very real poss should I take the for mentioned (i)ap-roach