Confirmed Signing with Link: [CAR] F Jesperi Kotkaniemi signs extension with Hurricanes (8 years, $4.82M AAV)

[jfhabs]

I don't understand this. He's 22 years old. The contract is clearly supposed to overpay him now but bank on him reaching his potential.

Add in increasing cap space which makes it skew at least much closer to a good deal 4 years from now. I get being salty at the player bc he screwed mon but why make yourself look bad like you don't get basic hockey stuff while doing it?

if the contract is only going to be good 4 years from now it's probably a lost gamble. I'm sure Canes management is hoping for KK to get better much sooner.

I think the deal is ok in a vaccum but not the best for the Canes. They have a lot of sick contracts value wise. Once they have to resing Aho, Slavin, etc it will be much harder to compete. Their window is now, not in 4 years.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

if the contract is only going to be good 4 years from now it's probably a lost gamble.

This is close but isn't what I said tho.

And he's underpaid years 4-8 how does that not counterbalance if he's overpaid 1-3? That's assuming it even takes 3 or 4 seasons to get there. Maybe he gets there as soon as next szn and then develops even further after that? It's a very very realistic possibility.

Or maybe he develops so he's worth 5m and sticks there for the majority of the contract. An overpay on ufa years by .5 is very reasonable

I'm sure Canes management is hoping for KK to get better much sooner.

I think the deal is ok in a vaccum but not the best for the Canes. They have a lot of sick contracts value wise. Once they have to resing Aho, Slavin, etc it will be much harder to compete. Their window is now, not in 4 years.

That's part of y you gamble on a super young guy who may become a huuuge bargain or at least a mild bargain. To offset the contracts that won't be bargains. Most teams take these risks with30 year olds who then decline rapidly. I can't see why it's so bad to do the same w someone who has so much potential instead

 

[bleedgreen]

You must be forgetting the words used by the Canes when they made the offer sheet (the exact same Bergevin used for the Aho offer sheet). You also must be forgetting about the 20$ bonus. Or all the twitter stuff...

Bergevin went public by saying he thought the Canes owner couldn't afford the bonus in Aho's 1st year and he obviously took it really personal. Like another poster said, you'd have to be naive to think it was only a coincidence.

It’s already been documented that Waddell and the pr staff talked about that it was all going down, and that the pr people wanted to go to town about it. Waddell laughed and said whatever….go ahead.

Again….the arrogance of a fan base to believe their team is such a big deal that an owner would spend so many millions of dollars to “get back” at a team that did them a favor. It’s comical. The world doesn’t revolve around the Habs my friend. Nobody cares that much.

 

[Koivu11]

It’s already been documented that Waddell and the pr staff talked about that it was all going down, and that the pr people wanted to go to town about it. Waddell laughed and said whatever….go ahead.

And how do you explain the $20 in the contract?

KK’s offer sheet doesn’t happen without the Aho one. Simple as that.

 

[bleedgreen]

And how do you explain the $20 in the contract?

KK’s offer sheet doesn’t happen without the Aho one. Simple as that.

The pr staff wanted it is what I heard and they went along with it. Everyone thought it was funny. Because it is.

The only people who care or talk about all this is you guys. Nobody else cares. I hope you all keep at it, you’re a constant source of unintentional hilarity.

 

[Koivu11]

The pr staff wanted it is what I heard and they went along with it. Everyone thought it was funny. Because it is.

The only people who care or talk about all this is you guys. Nobody else cares. I hope you all keep at it, you’re a constant source of unintentional hilarity.

Actually what is hilarious is that you really believe the offer sheet had nothing at all to do with revenge.

 

[Not The One]

The pr staff wanted it is what I heard and they went along with it. Everyone thought it was funny. Because it is.

The only people who care or talk about all this is you guys. Nobody else cares. I hope you all keep at it, you’re a constant source of unintentional hilarity.

Canes fans are so cute, still trying to spin this.

If it wasn't just for revenge... despite all their PR and the contract... the whole saga still looks like a major fail. Your 6 000 000 dollar man last year gave you 0g and 2 secondary assists in 14 playoff games. Your new 2nd line C started out his new 8-year contract with 0g and 2 secondary assists in 8 games while his two wingers are super productive. He has ONE goal in his last 42 games, season and playoffs combined.

Canes management really outsmarted themselves on this one.

 

[HabsQC]

It’s already been documented that Waddell and the pr staff talked about that it was all going down, and that the pr people wanted to go to town about it. Waddell laughed and said whatever….go ahead.

Again….the arrogance of a fan base to believe their team is such a big deal that an owner would spend so many millions of dollars to “get back” at a team that did them a favor. It’s comical. The world doesn’t revolve around the Habs my friend. Nobody cares that much.

Stupid move move made out of spite and no we aren't the only ones who think that, many fans from other fanbases too. Anyway, Dvorak scored 3 goals yesterday, how's KK doing ? Heard he was a game changer last year in the playoffa.

 

[islandersbob]

Canes fans are so cute, still trying to spin this.

If it wasn't just for revenge... despite all their PR and the contract... the whole saga still looks like a major fail. Your 6 000 000 dollar man last year gave you 0g and 2 secondary assists in 14 playoff games. Your new 2nd line C started out his new 8-year contract with 0g and 2 secondary assists in 8 games while his two wingers are super productive. He has ONE goal in his last 42 games, season and playoffs combined.

Canes management really outsmarted themselves on this one.

Revenge or not I thought the whole deal was an all your eggs in one basket type of deal. Last year Carolina was expected to be a good team and ultimately they had a great record. However, at the trade deadline, they were completely hamstrung because they had no cap space nor any good ammo to significantly bolster their lineup for a playoff run. Blowing your load on a meh player seemed like a complete bungle at the time to me and and it looked even worse when they were knocked out of the playoffs with their weakness, goaltending, getting absolutely exposed. Yes he's young, but Carolina's probable best shot at the cup was last year and they ensured that they couldn't get any reinforcements at the deadline.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Revenge or not I thought the whole deal was an all your eggs in one basket type of deal. Last year Carolina was expected to be a good team and ultimately they had a great record. However, at the trade deadline, they were completely hamstrung because they had no cap space nor any good ammo to significantly bolster their lineup for a playoff run. Blowing your load on a meh player seemed like a complete bungle at the time to me and and it looked even worse when they were knocked out of the playoffs with their weakness, goaltending, getting absolutely exposed. Yes he's young, but Carolina's probable best shot at the cup was last year and they ensured that they couldn't get any reinforcements at the deadline.

Canes tried other moves for 4 weeks during FA. Eichel, Tarasenko, Saad, etc.

But the cap space at the deadline isn’t a thing due to LTIR.

 

[samsagat]

KK's attitude is what will hold him from getting better.

Always blame shifting for his failures isn't a good mental state to get better.

Canes got caught in their need for revenge on this one.

Want it or not, Canes owner seems like a very proud man.
It has helped the Canes in a sense that their owner's personality influenced the organizational culture (the jerks thing): they are agressive, combative and self confident, not afraid to do things differently.
But in the meantime, like him they (the organization) can be impulsive and take decisions based on ego and emotions.

 

[NewEraGM]

Canes fans are so cute, still trying to spin this.

If it wasn't just for revenge... despite all their PR and the contract... the whole saga still looks like a major fail. Your 6 000 000 dollar man last year gave you 0g and 2 secondary assists in 14 playoff games. Your new 2nd line C started out his new 8-year contract with 0g and 2 secondary assists in 8 games while his two wingers are super productive. He has ONE goal in his last 42 games, season and playoffs combined.

Canes management really outsmarted themselves on this one.

Wait. What?! For real?!
He has one goal in his last 42 games?
That can’t be right…

 

[MarioLeMoose]

Who even cares the reasoning behind the offer sheet. The fact of the matter is KK is nothing more than a 30pt C making 4.85m/year
Carolina can keep him

 

[HabsQC]

The Canes organization wanted to make us look bad and ridiculed us with that offer sheet. I for one took it as insulting as the Canes owner did when we offersheeted Aho.

For as long as KK will continue to suck ass, there will be Habs fans to make sure they don't forget that this was a stupid move and that they probably ruined what was their best shot at the cup last year. If KK becomes great and leads the Canes to the cup, feel free to bump the thread and make us not forget our words.

 

[GrandBison]

Waddell and Canes fans are happy with him, us Habs fans think it was not a good gamble to match the offer. The strategy behind the offer was the best way to go with OS, and a young player like KK would be fool not to sign that kind of offer. If the Habs had match, KK would have had all the leverage to sign where he wants (even in Carolina) with the automatic no trade clause for a year.

We're not wishing him success cause the process really screwed the Habs but it doesn't really matter what we now think of him!

 

[jmelm]

CAR should exercise the buyout option on Kotkaniemi next summer while they can still buy him out at the 1/3rd level before it's too late. What a disappoint he has been. This was supposed to be his big "breakout" year.

MTL ruined this kid's development by rushing him, and then the Canes ruined his psyche further by giving him a truckload of money before he did a single thing to deserve any of it.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Life is good for KK though. 8 year 5AAV. His agent should be nominated Agent of the Year.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

While I'm sure there was a little billionaire ego/revenge involved in the offer-sheet, Lebrun had reported that the Canes tried to trade for Kotkaniemi in the days leading up to the offer-sheet. I read somewhere recently that MTL wanted Jarvis (per Pierre LeBrun) in return which was a no-go so they went the offer sheet route. As was mentioned above, they also reportedly first went after a number of other players (Saad for 1) and missed out. If this was simply a "revenge move / ridicule make MTL look bad move", they wouldn't have (a) tried to use their available cap space elsewhere and (b) bothered to try and trade for him in the first place. They would have just gone the offer sheet route. I'm sure Dundon took a bit of delight in going the offer-sheet route though.

I was never a big fan of the offer sheet simply because I thought there were more pressing needs than another C that wasn't a game changer. They needed a winger / physical presence in the top 6 more than a Kotkaniemi type C IMO. Obviously the front office disagreed at the time (although they went after Marchment and Tkachuk this off-season so clearly they see it as a need now). Maybe there were no other legit options at the time? Who knows. If he never amounts to more than a 3C, his contract today is fine given the rising cap, I just thought there were more pressing short term needs and am skeptical that he'll become more than that.

Re: the $20, you've all seen how the Canes PR staff is at times childish with trying to be funny/edgy on twitter. This is just more of that and many are reading too much into it.

 

[Svechhammer]

Jesus Christ this is still going?

Some of y'all have an unhealthy obsession

 

[Bruce Granville]

Carolina can keep him

I didn‘t know there was a discussion to trade for him…and offer a 1st++?

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

He’s got an 8 year contract?????? Woof.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Carolina was paying Jordan Staal $6 million last year to be a 2nd line center. Now they’ve got KK in the same position, for less money, and getting more production from that line (thus far).

It does get funnier each time this topic gets rehashed by Hab fans though.

??? Trochek was the 2nd line centre. They were paying Staal 1st/2nd line money to be a 3c.

 

[Sigurd]

Jesus Christ this is still going?

Some of y'all have an unhealthy obsession

Very.

I think they should just pull for the Canes at this point since it's clear they're living in their heads rent free long term. Come on down and enjoy our tailgates Habs fans!

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

He’s got an 8 year contract?????? Woof.

Who cares? The cap is going to go up and his cap hit will be 3c money in 2-3 years.

 

[traffic cone]

The Canes organization wanted to make us look bad and ridiculed us with that offer sheet. I for one took it as insulting as the Canes owner did when we offersheeted Aho.

For as long as KK will continue to suck ass, there will be Habs fans to make sure they don't forget that this was a stupid move and that they probably ruined what was their best shot at the cup last year. If KK becomes great and leads the Canes to the cup, feel free to bump the thread and make us not forget our words.

Lol. 4m guy needs to lead his team to the Cup to justify his cap. Never change hfboards.