Overview

• The Canadiens are actively gauging interest in moving Price’s $10.5 million cap hit but have not completed a trade.
• A $5.5 million signing bonus due on Sept. 1 will cut the contract’s remaining cash obligation to about $2 million, with insurance covering the bulk.
• Salary-floor teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks have emerged as the most realistic suitors.
• Moving the contract after the bonus would unlock pre-season and in-season cap flexibility for GM Kent Hughes, preserving the current roster.
• Any return is expected to be modest, likely limited to draft picks or prospects in exchange for the cap asset.