On Friday, the Montreal Canadiens moved Carey Price's $10,5 million AAV contract and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Gannon Laroque. Price, 38, last played in the 2021-22 season. His contract had been a challenge for Montreal, and this year, they focused on gaining some flexibility.On The Sick Podcast, host Tony Marinaro praised Montreal's general manager, Kent Hughes. He said Hughes handled the trade in a smart way."Kent Hughes is good at his job," Marinaro said. "He's really good, man. He's really good."Analyst Brian Wilde said many thought it would cost a second-round pick. Instead, Montreal only added a fifth-round pick. Marinaro brought up Hughes' statement from earlier this week, in which he told the media he did not have to trade Price."I wouldn't ever just expect anything to happen, because things don't always happen when you want them to, but we'll continue to explore ways to create cap flexibility, " Hughes said about Price's contract. "We're fine. We don't have to trade Carey Price."If we can find the trade to move his contract, that makes sense ...we'll pursue it, but we don't have to."Marinaro said this reduced pressure from other teams. It showed Montreal was not desperate to move the contract. This helped keep the price of the deal low. Both agreed that Hughes gained leverage by managing public perception well."He (Hughes) uses the media to try and convince the media, the fan base, and maybe all the other teams ... that he's actually thinking what he's saying," Marinaro said. "But he's probably not."So what I'm getting at is, ...(the interview) it was great for Kent, because he used... the media to get his message across."Carey Price's response to his contract moveCarey Price shared a short post after his trade to the Sharks. The message showed he still feels tied to Montreal. On Friday, he wrote:“Always a Hab. Just a teal one for now 😉🔵⚪️🔴.”Price played 15 seasons with the Canadiens, leading the team with 361n wins. His 49 shutouts rank third in team history.During his career, Price won the Vezina, Hart and Masterton Trophies. He also earned Olympic, World Cup and World Junior gold with Canada. Price is one of the most successful goalies in NHL history. His achievements remain a big part of Montreal’s legacy.