Habs fans, you can sleep tonight.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Seattle Kraken did not take Carey Price in the expansion draft. The lists were submitted to the NHL at 10 AM ET, with the picks to be announced live later tonight.
Given Price’s contract of $10.5 million a year until 2026 with an impending bonus to pay out, plus reports of surgery heading his way, the decision to pass on the Vezina Trophy winner makes sense in Seattle’s case.
The team is already expected to take Chris Driedger and sign him to a three-year deal, with the other two goaltending pick to be announced later.
Price is coming off of a dream playoff series where he helped the Canadiens make the final for the first time since 1993. Without Price, the Canadiens wouldn’t have likely gotten as far as they did.
But the playoff run came just after one of the worst regular seasons of Price’s career in which injuries put him on the sidelines for the final month of the regular season.
Here’s hoping for more good years ahead in Montreal for the team’s favorite son.