Politics in the NHL? You bet. Here’s the story.
Meet Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the Montreal Canadiens’ 3rd overall selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 6’2″, 200 lb. center, who hails from Pori, Finland, has had a great start to his career, amassing 22 goals and 62 points in 171 career NHL games. During the Habs’ Stanley Cup playoff run, he chipped in five goals and eight points in 19 games.
Now a restricted free agent, Kotkaniemi got his first taste of the open market–even though (by restriction) the Canadiens still retain his rights, He took advantage on Saturday, signing a 1-year/$6.1 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Habs have seven days to match the offer. If Montreal lets Kotkaniemi walk, the team will receive compensation from Carolina in the form of a first and third-round draft pick.
But there is much more to this story. Payback.
The Hurricanes were eager to slight the Canadiens because (back in 2019) Montreal extended an offer sheet to Hurricanes’ star Sebastian Aho to the tune of five years/$42.47 million ($8.454 AAV). Aho signed, and the Hurricanes ended up having to match the offer to keep their best player. Now, things have come full circle–but with a mean twist. Limited remaining cap space means the Canadiens may not be able to match Carolina’s offer.
The Hurricanes know that, and they also know that Kotkaniemi is not yet a $6 million player. There’s pettiness, too. The Hurricanes added a $20 signing bonus to Kotkaniemi’s offer (#20 is Aho’s jersey number). And to make matters worse, the Hurricanes trolled the Canadiens and their fans, boasting about the signing, including posting about the deal in French. That troll job has rubbed salt into the wounds of the Habs and their followers.
With the Canadiens already losing shutdown centerman Phillip Danault to the Los Angeles Kings in free agency, the potential subtraction of Kotkaniemi leaves a glaring hole down the middle of the lineup.
Do the Habs bite the bullet for one season? Or do they take the picks and retool the roster?
Tick tock, Marc Bergevin! You only have a few days left to decide.
