The Carolina Hurricanes have tendered an offer sheet to Montreal Canadiens Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Elliotte Friedman: The Canadiens will receive a first- and third-round pick if they don’t match the offer sheet.
Puck Pedia: The one-year offer sheet is for $6,100,035.
Signing Bonus: $20 (Sebastian Aho’s jersey number is 20)
Base Salary: $6,100,015 (Kotkaniemi’s jersey number is 15)
David Pagnotta: Hurricanes GM Don Waddell on the offer sheet: “Jesperi Kotkaniemi accepted our offer. He wants to come to Carolina. He sees the core we’ve built here and he wants to be a part of that. We’re proud, but there’s still a waiting period. When you make an offer like that, we saw a vulnerable position. The offer, with the compensation and the core we have, we realized that it was the best chance we had to get the player.”
Frank Seravalli: Canadiens tweet back on July 1st, 2019 after offer sheeting Aho: “Sebastian Aho accepted our offer. He wants to come to Monteal. He sees our youngsters coming up in the organization and he wants to be a part of that. We’re proud, but there’s still a waiting period.” – GM Marc Bergevin.
Thoughts from the media
NHL Watcher: Elliotte Friedman on his 31 Thoughts Podcast last night: “I heard Kotkaniemi and Montreal were not close on an extension. The Canadiens were using their full weight of their leverage against him. I think, my guess is they were talking about a 2 year deal in about the $2.5M range per season, maybe even less.”
NHL Watcher: Friedman: “I do think there is a legitimate chance Montreal is considering of not matching the offer sheet.”
- NHL Watcher: Friedman: “They have to extend Nick Suzuki who’s got one more year on his current deal, that’s going to be more than $6.1M. This is a #1 centre in the NHL, it’s going to be a big, big contract and we should also mention that Nick Suzuki is also represented by Wasserman.”
- NHL Watcher: “Wasserman is the same agent Kotkaniemi has.”
Frank Seravalli: “So much to unpack in the Kotkaniemi offer sheet. #Habs have one week to match – which would put them roughly $2 mil over their LTIR exception space. #Canes/#Habs would have to qualify Kotkaniemi at $6.1 mil next summer. And the juiciness of the Aho revenge.”
Cap Friendly: “We currently show the #Habs as being $2,276,370 above the ceiling based on a roster of 21 players (12F – 7D – 2G) and 2 players on IR. It would tentatively put them at $8,376,385 over the cap if Montreal were to match the Offer Sheet.”
- Cap Friendly: “With Weber out for the season, and Byron out until the new year, the #Habs could place both players on off-season LTIR and build a roster up to as much as $92,757,143 if needed. However, once Byron returns they would need to drop below $89,357,143 in order to activate him.”
Puck Pedia: “The #LetsGoCanes have $4.58M of Cap Space w/ 22 players on Proj. Roster (12F/8D/2G). If #GoHabsGo don’t match $6.1M Kotkaniemi offer sheet, will be $1.52M over cap w/ 23 players. Would be compliant for Opening Roster by sending 2 down & going w/ 21 guys”
Cap Friendly: “Because Jesperi Kotkaniemi signed the Offer Sheet, $6,100,035 of the #Canes cap space is now frozen until Montreal either matches or takes the compensation package. As a result, we’ve tentatively placed Kotkaniemi and his cap hit on Carolina’s team page.”
Stephen Whyno: “Hurricanes tendering an offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi 2 years after Canadiens offer-sheeted Sebastian Aho is the late summer spiciness the NHL offseason needed.”
Pierre LeBrun: “Hurricanes did try to trade for Kotkaniemi instead over the past several days but nothing that came close to making the Habs interested. So Dundon gets his offer sheet revenge. Anyway, enjoy the fun everyone.”
Shawn Simpson: “Offer sheets are taken personally by team owners in the NHL. No matter what the budget is, or how tight you run your operation. Nobody wants to get pushed around.”
Eric Engels: “I’m just going to say it: Jesperi Kotkaniemi would have been bonkers to walk away from a deal that would pay him three times as much as he’d likely earn this coming season. And you’re bonkers if you think he should’ve walked away from it.”
Renaud Lavoie: “After talking to a few people around the league, I have one person telling me Jesperi Kotkaniemi salary next season should be at $2.2M. That’s the highest suggestion I received. The @Canes are offering KK close to 3 times that amount. Good for KK but…”
Thomas Drance: “I’ve long said that there’s an internal language to standard player contracts. The structure of Kotkaniemi’s new contract, however, is the first one I’ve ever seen that’s just a raised middle finger.”
Harman Dayal: “This Kotkaniemi offer sheet is hilarious and lots of fun but the Canes better be damn sure that they think MTL’s gonna match otherwise this could backfire. Unprotected 1st+3rd at $6.1M is a steep price for a young player whose exact value is still unknown”
Ken Campbell: “What I don’t quite understand is why Waddell is so pissed at Bergevin. The Aho offer sheet was laughable and a no-brainer to match. Since then, Aho has scored 123 points, 15th highest in the league. Bergevin actually did Waddell a solid by tendering that offer.”
Nick Alberga: “Montreal should take the compensation, turn around & offer sheet Elias Pettersson.”
- Nick Alberga: “There’s that Eichel guy (via trade) available, too.”
Mike McIntyre: “The Carolina Hurricanes, out here proving that revenge really is a dish best served cold. Ice cold. I love the pettiness. It’s awesome. Frankly, the NHL could use a lot more of this.”
Patrick Bacon: “Say what you will about the CAR/MTL and who you think the winning and losing teams of this ordeal are (IMO, MTL wins). But the biggest winner of all is definitely Jesperi Kotkaniemi. This dude is in like, the 20th percentile of NHL players about to make $6M. That’s NBA money.”
JFresh Hockey: (tread) Reasons for the Canadiens not to match the Kotkaniemi offer sheet.
- “Kotkaniemi just hasn’t been good in the past two seasons other than juiced shooting % in the playoffs
- Canes pick is unprotected and they’re no guarantee to make the playoffs
- Draft is supposed to be really good
- It would stick the Canes with a contract they clearly consider to be undesirable, especially the qualifying offer
- It would very fun to call their bluff
- Habs probably won’t make the playoffs next season anyway and KK might/probably not be the long-term answer at 1C/2C.
- Habs are bound to get screwed on whatever cap dump deal it would take to accomodate this contract
- That Hurricanes pick could be a part of a war-chest to trade for an actual top centre like Eichel or whatever
- Draft is also in Montreal. More picks.”
Jesperi Kotkaniemi, tendered a 1x$6.1M offer sheet by CAR, has not seen the same success in the regular season as he has in the playoffs (boosted by a 23% shooting percentage) since he was a rookie. #LetsGoCanes pic.twitter.com/M9Yclyd40I
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 28, 2021