Keeping all 3 of Plekanec, Price & Halak?
 

This is going to be very difficult, especially considering that Pouliot, Lapierre and Sergei Kostitsyn also need new contracts. And I would imagine that at least one of Moore and Metropolit will be back (I'd bet on Moore as long as he's cheap). I doubt MAB or Mara will be back.

Losing any one of these 3 guys would be a huge blow, IMO. Hopefully we can trade one of Hamrlik and Spacek to clear some cap space.

I'm just wondering if there's any hope of keeping all 3 of these guys.

We should be able to keep all three, not so sure Kost Jr. is staying but we will move salary out of the D for sure this summer. Subban should make the team out of camp making Spacek expendable. Weber should be coming up soon I would think so Hammer loses his spot. That is like 7 million in space Weber and Subban will make rookie max, so under 2 million. That is 5 million to spread around. That is enough for Halak, Price and Pleks to get signed with.

I would think keeping all three would cost approximately 10 million per season.

If we can get rid of Hamrlik and Spacek, that's $9m I think on the cap that we save. This should be the MO this summer.

Do you really think they can dump both though? Not sure who would take them

Pouliot, Lapierre and SKost don't deserve anymore than they already make. They are all fringe nhlers. Well Laps has shown he can be an effective nhler, but jury is still out for him. SKost is likely finished as a hab though.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Price tradedin the off-season, unless Halak completely implodes against the Pens.

There was a Philly writer(I think it might have been Tim Panoccio, but I'm not sure) who mentioned the Flyers internally were high on Price and were really going to push for him at the draft. If Gauther thinks he can improve the team by trading Price, he will do it. Halak is in the process of proving he is a number 1.

Both goalies should be kept unless an overpayment comes our way, Plekanec can gtfo if he's asking for the world.

Halak's contract gets bigger with every game he plays.

He may command close to 6 mill at this rate.

Pleks will want a ton as well, i have been hearing around 5.

Price will be dealt i imagine.

Halak, Pleks, Gomez, Cammy, Gionta... Thats a ton of cap space taken up with just 5 players.

Tough offseason ahead.

How about Moore? Any chance we can keep him too?

If we manage to dump Hamrlik we might be able to keep all three. At this point the most probable option to me would be to trade Price. Not that I don't think he'll be a good goalie, but I'd rather keep Plekanec over him and we HAVE to keep Halak.

The only thing he got to prove is the stamina, he need 60+ starts next season... this is the major reason we need to trade Price, I doubt he will like to have only like 20 starts next season.

Here's a question:

If Gauthier dangles Price this summer but the potential return is substandard as all hab-haters are so desperate to believe... then offers up Halak and the potential return is an overpayment by a team who desperately covets Halak...

Do you trade Halak and sign Price longterm?

While many are of the opinion that keeping both Halak and Price would be best if we can afford to under the cap, and I would agree with that position, it seems to me that neither would sign a contract knowing the other was sticking around. Essentially, management offers one a contract. If signed, I'm quite sure the other would ride out his current contract and then walk.

How about offer them a contract at the same time. ;)

I thought Hammer had a no movement clause?

Good idea. Same day, same hour.

Halak/Price: 'Thanks Mr. Gauthier. I am happy to sign this generous contract. But first I have to ask you about (Halak/Price). Is he going to be signed, too?'

Gauthier: 'Truthfully, I cannot answer that question at this moment.'

Who cares about what price thinks...he is 22 he has no say...

I think the playoffs and clutch games are going to the deciding factors on which of these players we'll try (or try harder than the others) to keep.

Gauthier is not stupid. He CANNOT fail to sign Plekanec, Halak and Price. Everyone else comes after, as far as priorities are concerned. I'd also personally try to re-sign Moore before SK, Lapierre and Pouliot. And I've been saying that way before last night's goal. We need more 3rd line checking players (see Moen, Pyatt, Moore) and less 2nd line fringe players (see SK and Pouliot). We have plenty of interesting offensive prospects in the minors and Europe who can fill the void that guys like SK and Pouliot would leave behind. A Moore and Pyatt, I'd argue, is actually harder to come by. And they're also the kind of players that win you a playoff series. :handclap:

it can be done. so let's do it. move/waive/trade hamrlik

I would get rid of Hamrlik and maybe even Akost before one of those 3.

Ya he has been using it on the ice for the last half season :sarcasm::D

Exactly, I'm sure all backup goalies want to be starters. If he doesn't like it, too bad.

You're not really good with numbers...check around the league because few goaltenders are making 6 millions.

Halak will want a short contract...two to three years. How do I know? Because right now, he can't ask for too much money because he was our starter for half the season. Not enough to ask for the world...even though he's great in the playoffs. Because of that, he's going to believe he can be a top goaltender in the league who deserves top money. That money will only come with time.

As for the amount, between 2.5 and 3.5 is my guess. A two years contract will be closer the that minimum and a three year contract will be close from that maximum.

If he's our starter for the next 3 years and he's great, then he'll sign long term...but not before that...

As for Price, he was decent, but like Halak, he will only sign short term. He did not do much to deserve a raise from his actual 2+ millions cap hit.

Bottom line, we could re-sign and keep both goaltenders and trade one of them when the market will be good to do so. I don't believe we should be in any rush to get rid of either one of them.

I predict Montreal resigns Price and Plekanec long term and trade Sergei Andrei Kostitsyn and Halak at the draft. The way Halak has played he will get a kings ransom in return.

I'd love for Montreal to fetch David Backes from St-Louis!

Not sure what king of deal it would take though.