MONTREAL -- The Seattle Kraken did not select goalie Carey Price in the expansion draft, according to several media outlets.
The information was reported by TSN's Pierre LeBrun in a tweet Wednesday morning, as well as DailyFaceoff and TVA Sports.
The new team, the 32nd in the NHL, is said to have selected defenceman Cale Fleury from the Montreal Canadiens instead.
The Kraken was expected to table its list of 30 players chosen in the expansion draft at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The identities of the players selected are set to be revealed to the public at 8 p.m.
To everyone's surprise, Price was not protected by Habs general manager Marc Bergevin, who even had to ask his star goalie to waive his no-trade clause to land on the unprotected list.
Bergevin gambled that the Kraken would not be interested in taking on a big contract in its first NHL season. Price's contract has a US$10.5 million impact on the payroll, and the Kraken would also have to pay an $11-million bonus in September to the goalie.
Price proved his worth in the playoffs last season, guiding the Habs to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 13-9-0 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage.
Recent reports about his health raised questions, though, of whether he will be fit to play next season.
In addition, TSN and DailyFaceoff reported in the last few days that Price was also scheduled to travel to New York this week to undergo tests on a knee. An operation could be necessary, which would mean that Price could miss the beginning of the next campaign. Price has also been bothered by a hip injury.
Montreal left some other high-profile players unprotected, including unrestricted free agent forwards Phillip Danault and Corey Perry, and left-winger Paul Byron, who has two years left on his contract at $3.4 million per year.
Captain Shea Weber is on the list, but the 35-year-old defenceman's future remains murky amid several reported injuries.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 20, 2021 and updated on July 21, 2021. With files from CTV News Montreal
