NHL Trade Rumors: Carey Price's Contract Gets Sent to Blackhawks in Proposed Deal

Carey Price's contract might be traded this summer

We brought you a report on Wednesday about the Montreal Canadiens potentially getting set to finally trade Carey Price's contract as it enters its final season. The Chicago Blackhawks were noted as a team that would be an ideal fit, due to salary cap needs.

Tab Bamford of Bleacher Nation has come up with a proposed trade that could make sense for both sides.

With the Blackhawks just over $6 million above the salary floor, and likely in line to trade off several veterans this season nearing the deadline, they could really use Price's $10.5 million cap hit to stay above the floor.

Keeping in mind two Canadiens prospects that are off-limits in any trade talk, Bamford put together a hypothetical deal that could work:

Blackhawks receive:
Carey Price’s contract ($10.5M cap hit)
Montreal’s 2026 first-round pick
Montreal’s 2027 first-round pick

Canadiens receive:
Laurent Brossoit, G
Lukas Reichel, F
Chicago’s 2026 second-round pick
Toronto’s 2026 second-round pick
Vancouver’s 2027 second-round pick

The Habs just traded both of their 2025 first-round picks in the Noah Dobson deal, so also trading their '26 and '27 first-rounders would be a tough pill to swallow, but they would be getting a couple of interesting pieces back. And in receiving three second-rounders, they wouldn't be completely blowing up their draft pick pool.

In Brossoit, if he's healthy, Montreal would get a solid upgrade at the backup netminder spot. "Right now, their backup is Kaapo Kahkonen — who is not good," writes Bamford.

Brossoit has a career .911 save percentage (.927 last season as the backup to Connor Hellebuyck with the Winnipeg Jets), and a Stanley Cup ring from his time with the 2023 Vegas Golden Knights.

In Reichel, the Habs would get a former first-rounder who just hasn't been able to find his stride in Chicago. A change of scenery, as everyone around the Windy City has already noted, could do the 23-year-old winger a world of good.

For the Hawks, getting back only draft capital in addition to the Price contract would be reflective of the likelihood that any prospects they could ask for from Montreal (outside of the two 'untouchables') might not be better than what they currently have in the system, writes Bamford, while also indicating that in this scenario, they would have three first-round picks in next year's draft, "enough ammo to do something significant".

And, of course, they'd get that salary cap fallback if they need it to get to the floor. And if, somehow, for some reason, they find a way to bring in a number of desired expensive pieces this season, Bamford reminds us that both Price and Weber's contracts can be put on LTIR, buying them more than $18 million in extra cap room, should they need it.