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Canes Sign Kotkaniemi To Offer Sheet/Habs Don't Match

The Aho offer sheet was either a genuine but futile from the get go effort to actually sign Aho or just something Bergevin did to make it look like he was trying to appease folks. There was zero chance the Canes would not match that offer.

This offer sheet by the Canes, in addition to being structured to look like payback, is also much more devious. The dollars of this offer are just high enough, given Kotkaniemi's slow start to his career offensively, to force the Habs to think about what to do. It took the Canes about 2 seconds to know they would match Aho's offer sheet. I guarantee you the Habs are going to need to think about what to do here.

As for comments about the Canes maybe being not good and that 1st round pick being a good one, that is just nonsense. And there is no way the Habs trade Kotkaniemi for a likely non lottery 1st and a 3rd.

So revenge yes, but pretty dirty revenge with a chance of putting the Habs in what actually might be an uncomfortable situation. I hope the Habs don't match because I think this kid has a good 2 way game with untapped offensive upside. He is not $6.1 million good of course, but that is what potentially makes it possible the Canes will get Kotkaniemi.
 
Necas and his agent also approve of the signing... it means the Canes better have their ducks in a row with a sweet signable offer to him *before* July 1 2022, as payback-payback is also a bitch. Of course the Habs will have their own to deal with next summer in Suzuki as well.

And this, lol:
 
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jeffbear said:
LOLOLOLOLOLOL ... that $20 signing bonus is Intergalactic level petty.

That said, I think $6 mil for Kotcaniemi assumes that he'll suddenly turn into a top 6 forward in Carolina's system. Which is a lot to assume
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Yep, I agree on both points.

If I'm a Canes fan I don't like this at all and I pray that the Habs match. Then it's worth it for the lolz. If the Habs don't match, you just paid a 3rd line center $6.1m and gave up a 1st and a 3rd for some sort of petty payback.

I don't blame anyone for disliking the offersheet that the Habs gave Aho (I reiterate that it was an unintentional favor) but there's zero doubt that the Habs did it because they thought it was the best thing for their team. This is petty af.... also funny af... but definitely petty.
 
cmaleski2 said:
The Aho offer sheet was either a genuine but futile from the get go effort to actually sign Aho or just something Bergevin did to make it look like he was trying to appease folks. There was zero chance the Canes would not match that offer.

This offer sheet by the Canes, in addition to being structured to look like payback, is also much more devious. The dollars of this offer are just high enough, given Kotkaniemi's slow start to his career offensively, to force the Habs to think about what to do. It took the Canes about 2 seconds to know they would match Aho's offer sheet. I guarantee you the Habs are going to need to think about what to do here.

As for comments about the Canes maybe being not good and that 1st round pick being a good one, that is just nonsense. And there is no way the Habs trade Kotkaniemi for a likely non lottery 1st and a 3rd.

So revenge yes, but pretty dirty revenge with a chance of putting the Habs in what actually might be an uncomfortable situation. I hope the Habs don't match because I think this kid has a good 2 way game with untapped offensive upside. He is not $6.1 million good of course, but that is what potentially makes it possible the Canes will get Kotkaniemi.
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KK has the potential to be an excellent 2 way center. The problem with the $6.1m... he's very unlikely to be worth that this year. If he does take a big step forward to make him "worth" that money... all of a sudden you have to give him a raise next year. If he doesn't take a big step forward this year, they still have to give him more than $6.1m as a qualifying offer next year.
 
And it's odd to me if it was just for Pettiness a $5m offer sheet does effectively the same thing at less direct cost then this offer sheet as written.

Guessing the Extra Million is to A indicate they want him or B Make it more painful to Montreal Or C the min number JK would take..

I still don't get it (completely) But it has been done.
 
Habspatrol said:
KK has the potential to be an excellent 2 way center. The problem with the $6.1m... he's very unlikely to be worth that this year. If he does take a big step forward to make him "worth" that money... all of a sudden you have to give him a raise next year. If he doesn't take a big step forward this year, they still have to give him more than $6.1m as a qualifying offer next year.
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Is KK going to likely be worth $6.1 million this coming season? Not likely, I completely agree with you on that. However, this offer sheet is as pointless as the Aho offer sheet was if the Canes don't make the Habs at least think 'is this player really worth that salary?'. The fact that Aho clearly was worth what the Habs offered is what made the Aho offer sheet doomed the minute Bergevin signed it. The fact that the Habs structured the offer sheet in such a way that made the Canes pay the maximum amount of money as signing bonuses as if Tom Dundon wasn't disgustingly rich enough to deal with such a contract structure was where Dundon was insulted.

If KK takes a big step forward, than the Canes will happily pay him on a longer term deal for more than $6.1 million and forgo what might have been a difficult negotiation with UFA to be Vicent Trocheck. 2nd line center secured. Trocheck walks, Canes use the difference between Trocheck's AAV and the additional AAV to KK to help pay Necas.

On your last point about KK maybe not taking a step forward and the Canes still having to qualify KK for at least $6.1 million to keep him? Nope, that is not fully correct. CBA 12.3.a.i. Rather than the Canes qualifying KK, they can choose Club-Elected arbitration instead. If the Canes went that route and 'won', KK could potentially end up with a 1 year deal at 85% of his prior year salary+bonus. Somewhere around $5.185 million. The Canes of course could also trade KK after this season and recoup some sort of value. They are not obligated to do anything and definitely are not obligated to qualify KK at $6.1 million. That is just not true (it also wouldn't be true for the Habs either if they elect to match this offer sheet).

I think the risks for the Canes if the Habs don't match (a 1st and a 3rd and maybe overpaying KK for one season) outweigh the potential benefits. Yes, the ways the Canes have handled all this today is ripe with petty sniping and yes, KK at $6.1 million next season is an overpay. But I guarantee you the Canes are already looking ahead to 22-23 and probably no longer having our current 2nd line center that season. If you think about all of this in that context, I think you will start to see this as a pretty decent calculated risk for the Canes.
 
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Good call... didn't think about arbitration.

Either way, I think this is a petty play and not an attempt to better their team.

I like KK but I'm kinda hoping the Habs don't match.
 
For Canes fans thinking about what happens if the Habs don't match, we already have Aho, Trocheck and Staal at center of course, so barring trade or injury I would expect KK to play wing for the Canes this coming season if this offer sheet is successful.
 
Ya, I think he fits fine right there on Trocheck's left wing (moving Nino with Staal) and obviously also injury fill-in for any of the other 3 at C.

Don't think we'll have to worry about it though.
 
Expect an offer sheet to Necas next season. If Bergevin is still the GM it's all but guaranteed.
 
Tryamw said:
Another thought for the Habs fans Could this be some anger over getting benched in the playoffs from JK? I just don't see why he'd sign this.. Well 6.1 and possibly UFA sooner but
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He's soon to be your player... his nickname is KK. Get it right.

I don't think it's anger... it's "I'm being offered twice what I was being offered or deserve... of course I'm taking it."
 
I certainly can understand both sides of the argument on this offer sheet as a Habs fan or a Canes fan but this move to me is simply Dundon once again doing things his own way and flashing the bird at anyone who doesn’t like it. Personally, as a Canes fan I think it’s a pretty slick move if you like the player long term. Sure, the one year contract is absurd but the kid was the third overall pick and a pretty talented player that plays a position that is pretty important in this league. Center depth is vital, if you trade a late first and a third for a young player you like a lot it’s not terrible if you can afford and can live with the one year overpay.
 
So much salt in this thread. But they’re not mad. He stinks anyway right. They don’t want him. Canes can overpay him. But here is some more salt 😄
 
Fayettenamcanesfan said:
So much salt in this thread. But they’re not mad. He stinks anyway right. They don’t want him. Canes can overpay him. But here is some more salt 😄
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Nobody is saying he stinks, just that it's awful risky.

I'll put it this way, if the Habs signed him to a 1 year $6.1m deal 100% of the fanbase would be apoplectic... and that's without giving up a 1st and 3rd.

I truly thought he'd get around $3-3.5m.

I truly feel that he WILL be a very good player... I'm just not sure how long that will take. I really hope the Habs take the picks. If that's salty... I guess I'm salty.
 
Offer sheets don't work without an overpay. If you really want the player and an offer sheet is the approach, overpaying is part of the deal.

The Canes would not be doing this if they didn't think KK is going to play much better than he has so far. It's a risk, but I think some Habs fans are going way overboard making this out like KK sucks. He's 21 years old, and he is a young NHL player with more potential upside than downside. This is not all that big a risk for the Canes.
 
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