The Canadiens will pay Carey Price 2.75 million dollars in each of the next two seasons, which represents an increase in salary over the 2.2 million, including bonuses, that he was paid last season. The contract calls for exactly the same money that another restricted free agent goaltender, Antti Niemi of the Blackhawks, was awarded through arbitration earlier in the summer. The question might be asked, ‘at 2.75 million per year, who would you rather have on your team; Price or Niemi?’

While Carey Price was finishing third in the team roping competition at the Smithers B.C. Rodeo on the weekend, rumours were sufracing that Price is demanding a three million contract with the Canadiens or he was prepared to withhold his services to the team. Price is a restricted free agent without aribtration rights. The rumours are a product of the blogosphere and the sources are questionable, but that has never stopped the web gossip before. (INCLUDED IN THE REPORT-A TELEVISION FEATURE FROM CKPG TELEVISION , PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. ON PRICE APPEARANCE AT THE SMITHERS RODEO)

There are a number of restricted NHL free agents unsigned for the coming season. The most prominent of those are Canadiens goaltender Carey Price, Anaheim forward Bobby Ryan and Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, all of whom were high first-round choices in the 2005 entry draft. Each is involved in tense salary negotiations with training camp starting up in less than three weeks.

When it comes to goaltenders the NHL marketplace has shifted to the buyer. Only 15 of the 39 free agent goaltenders on team negotiation lists have received 2010-2011 contracts. Still waiting for job offers and facing major cuts in pay are Jose Theodore, Vesa Toskala and Ray Emery. Some teams are second guessing long term contracts currently in effect. In the end, the lack of a vigourous goaltending marketplace may be affecting the on-going Carey Price negotiation.

Former Canadiens goaltender Cristobal Huet will be joining Glen Metropolit in the Swiss Hockey League this season. The Chicago Black Hawks and Fribourg-Totteron have reached agreement on Huet’s transfer to Switzerland. The Black Hawks are still responsible for the remaining two years of his contract at 5.65 million per season, but it will not be charged to their salary cap.

Alexander Ovechkin appeared on Russia’s Radio Sport on Friday. He talked about many things,including the current state of the KHL, his critics and the opening round loss to the Canadiens in the 2010 playofffs. In the interview Ovechkin blamed his inability to score in the series (1 goal) and bad luck for the loss after Washington had take a 3-1 series lead.

“Wheels within Wheels”. The best way to describe the goaltending swap between the Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning Monday. The Canadiens give up the American Hockey League’s best goaltender last season, Cedrick Desjardins. In return they get only the playing rights to Finnish-born Karri Ramo, who will at the very best, not be available to them until the 2011-2012 season. Desjardins rejoins his Hamilton coach Guy Boucher in Tampa. Ramo goes back to Avangard Omsk of the KHL for another year.

Obviously, Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier or his European scouting saw something they liked in goaltender Karri Ramo’s play with Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League this season past. Monday they traded goaltending prospect Cedrick Desjardins to the Tampa Bay Lightning in order to get his NHL rights. The 6’2″ Ramo played in 44 games with Omsk last season with a league-sixth 2.11 GAA and a .913 save percentage. Unless he is released, Ramo has one year remaining in a two year contract he signed with Omsk in June of 2009.
Ramo was the starting goaltender for the International side at the KHL All-star game last January.
Desjardins, will be rejoining his Hamitlon coach Guy Boucher in Tampa training camp. Boucher became the Lightning head coach during the off season.

Carey Price had to get permission from the Canadiens to compete in off-season rodeo events. The agreement was Price would involve himself only in team calf roping events. This weekend past Carey and his partner won a sanctioned B.C. Rodeo Association event at Nemiah Valley near Williams Lake. The victory brought him a $300.30 check. So far this season, Price has earned just over 900 dollars on the B.C. circuit and ranks 6th in the association’s rookie-of-the-year standings.

Today (Tuesday) is Carey Price’s 23rd birthday. While he celebrates near his home in British Columbia, his agent continues what has become a prolonged restricted free agent negotiation with the Canadiens that for a number of reasons has become very complicated. And while the dickering that will inevitably lead to a deal training camp’s opening next month, fans are getting impatient. Some of them have taken to calling Price out for the delay.