Contract negotiations between the Canadiens and restricted free agent goalie Carey Price are moving a "relatively normal" pace, according to agent Gerry Johannson.
Johansson, Price's agent, told the HabsInsideOut.com, a Montreal Gazette sister website dedicated to Canadiens coverage, he expects a contract to be ironed out by the end of August or early September.
"(The two sides) are not necessarily close, but it's not that we're not close in a bad way," he said. "We're having good conversations and we both are commited to getting things done."
Price is looking for a one- or two-year contract, not the five-year deal that was reported in Montreal earlier this week.
Various reports have also linked the Canadiens to showing interested in former Chicago Blackhawks netminder Antti Niemi, though Johansson's of the understand that such reports are not true.
Files from:
Montreal Gazette
