Rumour: Canes potentially have unfair advantage over the Habs

The Kotkaniemi offer sheet saga will come to an end soon but what will be the outcome?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Rumour: Canes potentially have unfair advantage over the Habs
Zuma Press

The saga is coming to an end: the Montreal Canadiens have until tomorrow around 5h30pm ET to match the offer sheet the Carolina Hurricanes tended to centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi. 

However, many insiders and pundits already feel the Habs have made their decision and won’t match the deal, especially with a rumoured advantage in the Canes’ camp. 

That’s because Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Canes were able to come out with a strong offer sheet after they negotiated a long-term contract. On top of that, former NHL enforcer and now radio host Georges Laraque also reported that there is a secret deal in place between the Canes and Kotkaniemi, a deal that would come with a $4 million annual salary. 

If the Canadiens do not match and let Kotkaniemi go to Carolina on this offer sheet, we should expect this long-term secret contract to come out in January 2022. 

You have to admit this would be tough for the Habs to match if ever Kotkaniemi is already aware of this potential long-term deal in Carolina. It was first believed that the Habs were not interested in offering more than $2.5 million annually for KK, which means they would pay up this year to match the offer and then have to let him go to keep paying him big money moving forward. 

While we must wait for the official announcement,  Sportsnet insider for the Canadiens Eric Engels believes GM Marc Bergevin has already made up his mind to let Kotkaniemi walk. 

This is not the first time Engels claims the Habs will not match the offer. He also said earlier this week : “Right now I think the most likely scenario is they’re going to let him walk, and replace him via trade.”

It was first believed that the Canadiens could look to acquire Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres. Chatter got more intense when the Sabres’ captain hired agent Pat Brisson to make things happen. With Brisson coming in, the Canadiens have become a rumoured destination for Eichel. With the whole Kotkaniemi offer sheet saga, the Canadiens could become front-runners for Eichel: the Habs would get the Hurricanes’ first- and third-round picks in next year’s draft if they don’t match Kotkaniemi’s offer sheet, and could offer up two first-round picks and a prospect would bring Eichel to Montreal. 

The Canadiens could also use those same picks in a Christian Dvorak trade out of Arizona, as Engels and Friedman report. 

“I do happen to believe they have identified a primary target here and it is Christian Dvorak out of Arizona,” Engels added. 

These rumours sound like they can make up for this potential advantage in Raleigh.

Kotkaniemi had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 56 regular-season appearances for Montreal last year, and added five goals and three assists in 19 playoff games. He was selected him third overall by the Habs in the 2018 NHL entry draft, but could now wear a different uniform in the upcoming season.