C'mon, we all know he was up early today so he can go check out the new espresso machine at work... It's like Christmas came early for Kick!
- Darksyde

i'm not impressed with my first latte but i may have done something wrong. it tastes like all milk. but i'll be back in there soon to try espresso.

Both are not mutually exclusive. Kotkaniemi could have wanted to get paid and show up the team publicly that benched him in the Cup Finals
- Takemedrunkimhome

That's assuming quite alot about him, his relationship with the team, etc...

Bottom line, it sucks.


I don't think Bergevin matches the offer. He's a guy that has shown in the past that he's willing to let players go if it's about to screw up his salary structure.

i'm not impressed with my first latte but i may have done something wrong. it tastes like all milk. but i'll be back in there soon to try espresso.
- kicksave856

That's assuming quite alot about him, his relationship with the team, etc...

Bottom line, it sucks.


I don't think Bergevin matches the offer. He's a guy that has shown in the past that he's willing to let players go if it's about to screw up his salary structure.
- Scabeh

People said right after the playoffs that Kotkaniemi's camp was saying he'd played his last game in Mtl...months later this.

This whole situation is on MB. Dundon is running his franchise like a petulant child but MB deserves everything he's getting, not the least of which was a word for word statement about Kotkaniemi that matched MB on Aho. MB deserves this embarrassment and there isn't a good solution to it. Every solution sucks. MB deserves everything he's getting here

People said right after the playoffs that Kotkaniemi's camp was saying he'd played his last game in Mtl...months later this.

This whole situation is on MB. Dundon is running his franchise like a petulant child but MB deserves everything he's getting, not the least of which was a word for word statement about Kotkaniemi that matched MB on Aho. MB deserves this embarrassment and there isn't a good solution to it. Every solution sucks. MB deserves everything he's getting here
- Takemedrunkimhome

Well there is still a way he comes out on top here.

It's basically making the right call on KK.

Which is a pretty tough call to make at this point.

I agree with what you said, except the bolded.

Reports had the Habs offering the young man 1.5M per season for 2 years.

Than Carolina shows up with a 6.1M offer for one year.

Only a fool wouldn't sign it.
- Scabeh

i cannot fault him for taking the money. you're right. i'm also not convinced that playing out the 21-22 season as the second highest paid forward on a team where his relationship with the coach and GM is clearly strained is necessarily going to go very well for him. the money is nice but there is undeniable risk for the player long term.

Well there is still a way he comes out on top here.

It's basically making the right call on KK.

Which is a pretty tough call to make at this point.
- Scabeh

There is no way to come out on top short of letting Kotkaniemi go, he flops, Carolina goes in the tank and the pick ends up in the lottery. Everything else, including matching, is a loss for MB. Only winner is Kotkaniemi who gets paid a lot of money he isn't deserving of but good for him. Dundon looks like the loser who runs his franchise in a piss poor manner showing the same penis envy he's shown since day 1 but there is almost no way MB wins this and the only way he can he has little to no control over. MB played a game and lost

People said right after the playoffs that Kotkaniemi's camp was saying he'd played his last game in Mtl...months later this.

This whole situation is on MB. Dundon is running his franchise like a petulant child but MB deserves everything he's getting, not the least of which was a word for word statement about Kotkaniemi that matched MB on Aho. MB deserves this embarrassment and there isn't a good solution to it. Every solution sucks. MB deserves everything he's getting here
- Takemedrunkimhome

Thing is, MB did nothing wrong. Offer sheets are in the rules. It's not dirty pool, it's due diligence. If Aho had ended up here, we'd all be singing praises at Bergy. I understand retaliation if we snagged him... But we didn't, and Carolina got a sweet deal out of it. If anything they should have sent Bergy a nice bottle and some protein powder.

Well there is still a way he comes out on top here.

It's basically making the right call on KK.

Which is a pretty tough call to make at this point.
- Scabeh

I think it's more of whether the team thinks it can compete again or if it's a re-tool.

Match it if you think to compete.

Don't if it's a re-tool. This could include simply being worse (say signing a Bozak/Staal/internal replacement who won't be as good) or attempting a big trade for a Kuznetsov/Eichel/Dvorak (which would be difficult with the cap)

People said right after the playoffs that Kotkaniemi's camp was saying he'd played his last game in Mtl...months later this.

This whole situation is on MB. Dundon is running his franchise like a petulant child but MB deserves everything he's getting, not the least of which was a word for word statement about Kotkaniemi that matched MB on Aho. MB deserves this embarrassment and there isn't a good solution to it. Every solution sucks. MB deserves everything he's getting here
- Takemedrunkimhome

yes. as soon as we saw Dundon and Waddell throw their very public conniption fits in 2019, Bergevin should have known he'd be targeted. i believe he knew this, but he didn't expect it with KK. but yeah, the offer sheet to Aho was idiotic. not in spirit, but because it was structured in a way that made it so easy to match. and so he poked a bear for the sake of poking a bear. this was all avoidable.

i cannot fault him for taking the money. you're right. i'm also not convinced that playing out the 21-22 season as the second highest paid forward on a team where his relationship with the coach and GM is clearly strained is necessarily going to go very well for him. the money is nice but there is undeniable risk for the player long term.
- DoubleDown

What if he sucks ass and for the rest of his career he is hopping from team to team for 1mil a season before washing up in the KHL? 6.1mil is now and forever. Why not make that 6.1 and even if you have that career trajectory, you add to your $?

Thing is, MB did nothing wrong. Offer sheets are in the rules. It's not dirty pool, it's due diligence. If Aho had ended up here, we'd all be singing praises at Bergy. I understand retaliation if we snagged him... But we didn't, and Carolina got a sweet deal out of it. If anything they should have sent Bergy a nice bottle and some protein powder.
- Darksyde

Is it in the rules? Sure. There are unwritten rules in all manners of life and it's known offer sheets are playing with fire. When MB played with fire Carolina got a great deal and Montreal is getting burned...hard to argue it any other way

I think Montreal would do well not to stare a gift horse (albeit unintended) in the mouth. Carolina will discover very quickly into this coming season that they are not even close to being the same team they were last season after the loss of Hamilton, Mrazek, Nedeljkovic, and Reimer. My guess is that Caolina’s first round pick will end up being somewhere in the #12-#17 range (at best) in what is projected to be one of the deepest drafts in a decade and a half. Montreal should take the picks from Carolina, sign a capable and affordable free agent 3rd line center to a one year contract as a stop gap, and cash in at the draft. If Kotkaniemi proves this season he’s worth what Carolina paid, and he’s not re-signed by next summer, shoot him an offer to bring him back for 22-23. If he doesn’t live up to expectations, try to bring him back at a bargain, or don’t. This revenge move by Carolina will turn out to be the textbook definition of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Thing is, MB did nothing wrong. Offer sheets are in the rules. It's not dirty pool, it's due diligence. If Aho had ended up here, we'd all be singing praises at Bergy. I understand retaliation if we snagged him... But we didn't, and Carolina got a sweet deal out of it. If anything they should have sent Bergy a nice bottle and some protein powder.
- Darksyde

They had to pay 28mil of real dollars in one year for him. How the hell is that "sweet" for Carolina? Especially since the pandemic happened.

yes. as soon as we saw Dundon and Waddell throw their very public conniption fits in 2019, Bergevin should have known he'd be targeted. i believe he knew this, but he didn't expect it with KK. but yeah, the offer sheet to Aho was idiotic. not in spirit, but because it was structured in a way that made it so easy to match. and so he poked a bear for the sake of poking a bear. this was all avoidable.
- DoubleDown

Pretty much. If you're going to do that you need to be prepared to sign your guys early or risk what happened. I look forward to MB's press conference where he explains RFAs are hard and if you want loyalty to get a dog

What if he sucks ass and for the rest of his career he is hopping from team to team for 1mil a season before washing up in the KHL? 6.1mil is now and forever. Why not make that 6.1 and even if you have that career trajectory, you add to your $?
- AdamFrench

yeah true. but what if the reason he sucks ass is dealing with the pressure of living up to that salary? what if at $2-3 million for the next 2 years, he's able to continue his slow development towards a $30-$40 million contract? i get your point but i don't see it as cut and dry.

- AGalchenyuk27

AND if it's true that all MTL offered was $3 million over 2 years then what can you say? they don't like the kid.

yeah true. but what if the reason he sucks ass is dealing with the pressure of living up to that salary? what if at $2-3 million for the next 2 years, he's able to continue his slow development towards a $30-$40 million contract? i get your point but i don't see it as cut and dry.
- DoubleDown

If he couldn't handle the pressure of an ELC then he's not going to be in the NHL long...

What if he sucks ass and for the rest of his career he is hopping from team to team for 1mil a season before washing up in the KHL? 6.1mil is now and forever. Why not make that 6.1 and even if you have that career trajectory, you add to your $?
- AdamFrench

Kotkaniemi would have been stupid not to take this money. Utterly stupid. $6.1m after taxes is enough to set your family up for life. Not hard to look at the Galchenyuk's of the world and realize you take the bird in hand.

That said...there is more to this than just that I believe

They had to pay 28mil of real dollars in one year for him. How the hell is that "sweet" for Carolina? Especially since the pandemic happened.
- AdamFrench

In terms of the cap hit for the caliber of player. Yes...the deal was designed to be painful for Dundon but from a team building/cap standpoint it's a pretty great deal

They had to pay 28mil of real dollars in one year for him. How the hell is that "sweet" for Carolina? Especially since the pandemic happened.
- AdamFrench

from a hockey ops perspective it's a decent deal, if a bit shorter than the team would like.

AND if it's true that all MTL offered was $3 million over 2 years then what can you say? they don't like the kid.
- DoubleDown

If that's the case, they won't match.

I still think KK will do great down the line, losing him would be a mistake and I would match it.

But it's an easier thing for me to say it, my job isn't on the line.

In terms of the cap hit for the caliber of player. Yes...the deal was designed to be painful for Dundon but from a team building/cap standpoint it's a pretty great deal
- Takemedrunkimhome

So was the Weber offer sheet.

If that's the case, they won't match.

I still think KK will do great down the line, losing him would be a mistake and I would match it.

But it's an easier thing for me to say it, my job isn't on the line.

- Scabeh

as long as the relationship isn't toxic yeah id match. too risky losing him just so you can draft another Ryan Poehling.