Let's Be Calm About the Carey Price Negotiations, for Now

posted by Rocket
All Habs

I am asked everyday, "Why hasn't Carey Price signed yet?" At this point, I should just press play, and let the well-rehearsed answer spill out. But I realize that passionate Habs fans are simply worried that the team doesn't have a number one goaltender right now so I try to address their concerns.

Worried? Don't be. Yet.

My answer usually goes something like this. These negotiations take time, and although Price is the top priority for GM Pierre Gauthier, he is not the only one.

Don't pay attention to the haters who profess that Price should be given a lowball one-year deal so that he can prove himself. The Canadiens have committed to Price for the foreseeable future.

My feeling all along has been that Gauthier would try to sign his franchise goaltender to a long-term deal to take advantage of Price's stock having taken a dip. Why not? For a cap-strapped GM, he would be hailed as a genius if Price plays as he is expected to and for a bargain over the long term.

But wait a minute. Is it really smart for Gauthier to play hardball when he doesn't have a plan 'B'?

Does the GM not recognize the importance in re-establishing support for their number one goaltender?  Gauthier should be doing whatever he can to help repair the relationship between Canadiens fans and Price.

Many fans are ready to welcome Price with open arms, while some will take a wait-and-see attitude. Surprisingly, there are people who call themselves fans, but are openly hostile towards Price. The negativity has been driven, in part, through mistakes made by coaches Martin and Carbonneau in managing their goaltenders.

I've also been consistent in saying that Price and his agent, Gerry Johannson, would be looking for a short-term deal. Sign for a year or two at a reduced rate with the intention of driving up the value of the next contract with some superb play. Johannson confirmed as much today in a courtesy call to a Gazette reporter.

This position is also reasonable, this time, from the perspective of the Price camp.

But can you see the problem? While the negotiating positions make sense to the two sides, they aren't even in the same ballpark in terms of dollars and term.

From the same interview with Stubbs, Johansson said that the two sides "are not necessarily close, but it's not that we're not close in a bad way. We're having good conversations and we both are committed to getting things done."

Johansson sees the negotiations as normal and hopes to have them completed in the next three or four weeks.

As I have been saying, let's remain calm.

I realize that's in stark contrast to the two nervous Nellie's who get their panties in a knot on Montreal sports radio at noon everyday. They have been speculating that Price doesn't want to play in Montreal, that Gauthier has been shopping his goaltender, and that the Habs have an interest in free agent Antti Niemi.

Nonsense.

As mentioned earlier, the Canadiens have invested in Price, and the young goaltender has said all the right things about returning.

On the subject of Niemi and Price, I am inclined to trust the Bowmans. Stan clearly believes that Niklas Hjalmarsson is a more critical piece of the Blackhawk puzzle than Niemi. You may recall Scotty's words last Spring who didn't mince words when he said, "Don't trade Price.”

Back on the airwaves, the morning Nellie has been claiming that the Price camp is seeking a five-year deal while Gauthier is offering two years.

Nonsense, again. Check the reasons explained above and you’ll find no evidence for that school of thought.

Prepare yourself for another batch of outlandish speculation as the Johansson comments today are likely the last official words we will hear on the subject until Price is signed. Gauthier is always tight-lipped, and Johansson is an excellent agent who doesn't believe in negotiating through the media.

Can you imagine the circus if a certain Mr. Walsh was negotiating a new contract for the goaltender he calls The Client with the Canadiens?

So where will the parties end up?

A three-year deal in the neighbourhood of $8 million ($2.5M, 2.5, 3.0) is my best guess and may be reasonable middle ground for both parties. But we will have to wait to see how tightly each side will hold to their positions. It seems that fans are ready to celebrate any deal that is a partial win for both sides.

Do I remain calm and confident that a deal will be done? Yes, I do. But if we are still talking about this issue beyond Labour Day, feel free to push the panic button.


In other news:

Former Canadiens player and assistant coach Doug Jarvis has been hired as an assistant with the Boston Bruins.  Jarvis was added to head coach Claude Julien's staff to replace Craig Ramsay who left to become the new head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Jarvis and Julien previously worked together behind the Canadiens bench.




(photo credit: Reuters)


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