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Pressure on Bergevin to turn offer sheet into a win for Montreal |
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When the Montreal Canadiens provided Sebastian Aho with an offer sheet two years ago, the prevailing sentiment was that the Habs had done the ‘Canes a favor.
The offer was reasonable enough ($8.45 million average yearly salary) that it was easy for the ‘Canes to match and get their star signed for five seasons. The only irritating aspect of the contract from the Carolina perspective was Aho was due, through signing bonuses, $21 million in the first calendar year.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, did Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin no favors with their one-year, $6.1 million offer sheet to Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Whether he matches or not, Bergevin is going to be judged by how well he plays this hand. He has until Saturday to decide what to do. As the countdown has wound down, it has been increasingly clear that the Hurricanes have succeeded in punishing the Habs for the Aho offer sheet.
By waiting to make the offer, the Hurricanes’ have limited the Hurricanes’ options to replace Kotkaniemi. Speculation has the Habs accepting the compensation of a first-round pick and a third-round pick.
The hope would be that the Habs could turn those picks into a No. 2 center, maybe Arizona Coyotes’ Christian Dvorak who has four seasons left on a contract paying him an average of $4.45 million per season.
The problem with that scenario is that the cost of Dvorak would be more than a first- and third-round pick. Dvorak is a reasonably-priced consistent two-way performer. It doesn’t help that the Hurricanes’ first round pick will likely be in the bottom-third of the first round. Their pick was 27th in the last draft.
The truth is that no NHL team is eager to move a center with training camp around the corner.
Bergevin doesn’t want to be left standing with no No. 2 center. Don't forget that Montreal No. 3 center Phillip Danault left through free agency this summer.
And what if Kotkaniemi has a strong season in Carolina? That late first-round pick won't feel like much if the Canadiens don't make the playoffs.
Keeping Kotkaniemi also comes with its own problems. He hasn’t yet been the player the Habs hoped he would be. The $6.1 million salary is an over-payment. The Habs can make it work with long-term injured reserve cap relief. But this player only has 22 career NHL goals. Maybe he will have a breakthrough season in 2021-22. Maybe he won’t. Regardless, the Canadiens will be looking at a $6.1 million qualifying offer.
What if Kotkaniemi doesn’t make progress this season while he is playing for Canadiens?
This messy for the Canadiens. And the savvy Montreal fan base has started to point the finger at GM Marc Bergevin for allowing the Canadiens to be in this situation. Part of his job is protecting the Canadiens from these situations.
It was known the Hurricanes were interested in Kotkaniemi because they had made trade inquiries.
After taking his Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Finals, Bergevin should have had a smooth offseason ride. Instead, he’s under heavy pressure to come up with a creative solution.
It’s obvious revenge was layered into their motivation for the offer sheet. If punishing Bergevin was a primary objective, they have achieved their objective. It has to be agonizing trying to figure out what to do.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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