Hurricanes offer sheet Kotkaniemi

[Big Ben]

What would you guys do if you were Marc Bergevin?

I would accept the 1st and 3rd, make an offer sheet to Pettersson (8.5M$/yr, 7yrs) and pay a 1st + 2nd+ 3rd
It would be like trading KK+ 2nd for Pettersson ;-)

[niconasr]

I understand the fun about the retaliation for the Aho offer sheet but other than that, this feels stupid to me from the Canes. If the Habs match, then great, that's the best revenge. But if they let him go, you're greatly overpaying a player for one year who you then either qualify for 6M$ again next year or let him go because you can't afford him while losing a 1st and a 3rd. And you just cost yourself 6M$ in cap space for this year for a better improvement.

The Aho offer sheet, while stupid, was still grounded in reality. There is no universe where Kotkaniemi is worth 6M$.

I get the joke from the Canes but it was not done properly at all for them to take advantage of it. This just feels like a petty move that has a serious chance to backfire on them.

[Doug Glatt]

This is why nobody does offer sheets. You wont get the player and you will have a fellow GM looking to get even for ****ing his cap.

[Axeman33]

So if the Habs let him go, they have Suzuki, Evans and AHL quality down the middle. They had Kotkaniemi pencilled in as 2C did they not?


For a team that drafted Kotkaniemi because of their lack of depth down the middle, and struggles to lure FAs to them year after year, this is a disaster for Bergeron and the Habs.

I love it.

[niconasr]

So if the Habs let him go, they have Suzuki, Evans and AHL quality down the middle. They had Kotkaniemi pencilled in as 2C did they not?


For a team that drafted Kotkaniemi because of their lack of depth down the middle, and struggles to lure FAs to them year after year, this is a disaster for Bergeron and the Habs.

I love it.

Yeah, he clearly is C2 for the Habs right now. That being said, I don't believe this would be a disaster at all if they let him go. The Habs just went to the SC final but lost their captain and top defensive center. The fans are much more open now at the idea of a small reset especially because the division is much stronger this time around. Losing KK for a 1st and a 3rd would probably be seen as OK for the Habs especially if (and that's the big if) Bergevin can find a top 6 center before the next season starts.

[Blues_fan1000]

its so petty its great. especially to tweet the exact same tweet as MTL did with Aho. it's a giant middle finger!

[Belexus75]

Yeah, he clearly is C2 for the Habs right now. That being said, I don't believe this would be a disaster at all if they let him go. The Habs just went to the SC final but lost their captain and top defensive center. The fans are much more open now at the idea of a small reset especially because the division is much stronger this time around. Losing KK for a 1st and a 3rd would probably be seen as OK for the Habs especially if (and that's the big if) Bergevin can find a top 6 center before the next season starts.

Lol just wait till they miss playoff… your theory will have no merit then… fans will go nuts…

Btw I think they miss either way

[Feenom]

Lol just wait till they miss playoff… your theory will have no merit then… fans will go nuts…

Btw I think they miss either way

I agree, doesn’t matter what the Habs do here, I firmly believe they miss the playoffs this year.

[LawMan]

There is some epic trolling from the Canes right now on Twitter.

- They announced the signing on Twitter in French
-they posted an Uno reverse direction card
- they changed their Twitter bio to French.
- they re-tweeted a "Bunch of Jerks" reference.

I. Love. It.
Best off-season transaction I can remember in a long time.

[niconasr]

Lol just wait till they miss playoff… your theory will have no merit then… fans will go nuts…

Btw I think they miss either way

But that's the point. Even if they miss the playoffs, it doesn't matter. Most fans expect them to be in a fight to simply make them. So if they miss them, then they have two first round picks including one in the lottery (cause it's doubtful Carolina misses the playoffs) and if they somehow make it, then they still have two low first round picks.

I understand everyone's reaction to this and it is frankly hilarious and Bergevin definitely deserves it but it doesn't mean it's a smart move by the Canes or a disaster for the Habs. That's my point.

[lusshouse]

I understand the fun about the retaliation for the Aho offer sheet but other than that, this feels stupid to me from the Canes. If the Habs match, then great, that's the best revenge. But if they let him go, you're greatly overpaying a player for one year who you then either qualify for 6M$ again next year or let him go because you can't afford him while losing a 1st and a 3rd. And you just cost yourself 6M$ in cap space for this year for a better improvement.

The Aho offer sheet, while stupid, was still grounded in reality. There is no universe where Kotkaniemi is worth 6M$.

I get the joke from the Canes but it was not done properly at all for them to take advantage of it. This just feels like a petty move that has a serious chance to backfire on them.

Seriously?

They gave 11.3M in signing bonus to Aho -- while it was known that Canes owner NEVER gave out signing bonuses.
They gave him exactly 5 years, the minimum to lead to UFA -- cutting Carolina of at least 2 or 3 years (had they gone for a long-term contract) or more (had they gone bridge + long-term contract) of guarentee.

The Aho contract, although sane in terms of salary, wasn't all that positive for the Canes.

Also, improvement? Really? So tell me, who are the centers under 23 years old that you can acquire for a late 1st and a 3rd round pick?

Reminder : PL Dubois, in a situation of 'must be traded right now' was acquired lowball for Laine and Roslovic. Lowball.



There's no chance Bergevin lets him go. No chance. You don't lose a 22 years old center when you're thin at that position. Not one you drafted 3rd overall. Not for that price.

You pay him 6.1M and eat that humble pie for having broken the 'code' of signing an offer sheet. And you go out publicly to say that he's a top-6 player, and stop fooling around by sending him to the press box in the SCF...

[lusshouse]

I don't read the same twitter fanbase as you guys do.

I keep reading the fans thinking we're going back to make a run at the Cup...

[niconasr]

Seriously?

They gave 11.3M in signing bonus to Aho -- while it was known that Canes owner NEVER gave out signing bonuses.
They gave him exactly 5 years, the minimum to lead to UFA -- cutting Carolina of at least 2 or 3 years (had they gone for a long-term contract) or more (had they gone bridge + long-term contract) of guarentee.

The Aho contract, although sane in terms of salary, wasn't all that positive for the Canes.

Also, improvement? Really? So tell me, who are the centers under 23 years old that you can acquire for a late 1st and a 3rd round pick?

Reminder : PL Dubois, in a situation of 'must be traded right now' was acquired lowball for Laine and Roslovic. Lowball.



There's no chance Bergevin lets him go. No chance. You don't lose a 22 years old center when you're thin at that position. Not one you drafted 3rd overall. Not for that price.

You pay him 6.1M and eat that humble pie for having broken the 'code' of signing an offer sheet. And you go out publicly to say that he's a top-6 player, and stop fooling around by sending him to the press box in the SCF...

I'm sorry, where did I say that the Aho contract was all positive for the Canes? I said it was grounded in reality. Stupid, as an offer sheet that was never going to work, but realistic in terms of salary in relation to what Aho was worth.

I did not say the 6M$ could be an improvement for the Habs. I said the Canes, by signing KK if Montreal doesn't match, is stuck paying 6M$ for a player they don't need, isn't worth that money and keeps them from using that 6M$ on an improvement for their team.

I do not care about Dubois and I do agree that the Habs probably won't be able to find a top 6 center for a 1st and a 3rd. But they could use those added assets with others they already have to find one. Unlikely, but possible.

That being said, I agree that the Habs probably will match because they like KK and don't want to lose him. However, that doesn't make this a smart move by the Canes either.

It's a clear middle finger to the Habs and a deserved one at that. It's still a dumb move in my mind. But hey, fans seem to love it so what do I care...

[lusshouse]

Maybe it's a French/English translation thing, but to me 'grounded in reality' does not apply to Aho considering what I said (bonus, 5 years straight to UFA).

Carolina would be more than happy to add a 21 year old center with 9 playoff goals on his resume at the trade deadline for a 1st and a 3rd.
They have the cap room to add him (they'll let Nino go for nothing, like they were ready to see happen at the expansion draft).

And next off-season, you get to pick between Trocheck extention or Kotkaniemi extension.

It's a great move for Carolina... that will not happen, because MB will match.

[niconasr]

Maybe it's a French/English translation thing, but to me 'grounded in reality' does not apply to Aho considering what I said (bonus, 5 years straight to UFA).

Carolina would be more than happy to add a 21 year old center with 9 playoff goals on his resume at the trade deadline for a 1st and a 3rd.
They have the cap room to add him (they'll let Nino go for nothing, like they were ready to see happen at the expansion draft).

And next off-season, you get to pick between Trocheck extention or Kotkaniemi extension.

It's a great move for Carolina... that will not happen, because MB will match.

8M$ for a bona-fide number one center is realistic. Yes, the bonus structure was made to make it less enticing for Wadell to match but Aho was worth that salary. KK isn't worth 6M$.

I like KK a lot but even if you sugarcoat his resume as a 21 year old with 9 playoff goals, he's still far from being worth that money. I could also say he's a player entering his fourth season with a career high of 34 points, has been an occasional healthy scratch after being the 3rd pick of his draft. In many circumstances, people would already call him a bust.

And while the Canes can afford him right now, as I said, they do not need him and his salary will impede them from making other improvements during the year if they do need them.

But as you said, it's a moot point because Bergevin is most likely to match.