In a kind of head-scratcher of a trade, Dan Ellis and Dustin Boyd have been traded from Nashville to the epicenter of hell, Montreal. The Canadiens have sent back Sergei Kostitsyn and some future considerations.Here's the head scratching part of the whole trade: Every player in this trade has a contract that expires in two days.
Ellis will be an unrestricted free agent who made $1.8M last year (all numbers from capgeek.com) and has stated multiple times that he wants to go to a place where he can become a starter. It's going to be hard for Montreal to re-sign both Ellis and Price (who is a restricted free agent) with the promise of a goalie duel in camp. Both goalies will want to start and I have a funny feeling that Montreal won't tuck their frank behind the bun and admit that they screwed up on drafting Price.
Trading Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues seemed to be a wink, wink; nod, nod to Carey Price that he'll be in the man in Montreal, but adding Ellis, especially if they can sign both, will certainly say otherwise.
I'm a big Dan Ellis fan and by nature a huge Carey Price detractor (I'm a Bruins fan first, hockey fan second) so please take that for what it is worth.
Dustin Boyd is still a young guy (23 years old) and his stats aren't amazing for a center, but again, he's a young guy.
Kostitsyn's stay in Montreal was awful considering the speculation of banging hookers with his brother and the lofty expectations he rarely ever met. The difference between Ellis and Kostitsyn contractually if that Sergei is a restricted free agent and only making 800K. Unfortunately for Nashville, the day to tender RFA's has long passed.
Again, this trade rarely makes any sense unless either team can sign their guy before July 1. If it happens after, you have to ask yourself why they just didn't wait a couple days.
Ellis will probably end up getting signed to a starter's level contract with MTL. Price will be relegated to backup, and depending on his performance, will probably be let go at the end of this season - since he hasn't lived up to his bonus potential, he's only truly earning about $850k.
ReplyDeleteThe Habs will probably resign Curtis Sanford and Cedric Desjardins and their two-way deals which are dirt cheap. If Price blows this season, they won't extend the deal beyond this season and either trade him or let him walk and take the cap hit.
Kostitsyn was given his last chance this season after starting out on a bad note, saying he was deserving of playing with the big club. He wasn't and was forced out of town with his tail between his legs. He was too soft on the backcheck and was pretty light on his feet. In the stretch run to wards the playoffs and in the playoffs, he disappeared completely. MTL needed someone with grit, since they will probably lose Moore or Metro (prolly Metro).