Around the NHL Summer 2021

[Winger98]

Unless Montreal has definitive plans for Kotkaniemi as part of their core, I'd take the picks and run. If you're on the fence about his development, this could be the best offer you receive. Another middling season and you're not getting an unprotected 1st rounder back.

But so much depends on your relationship with the player and his motivation behind signing the deal. Such a signing could be a clear indication he wants out... Or simply a too good to pass up offer and no hard feelings. I don't really have that context to weigh in on.

Having the past two seasons wrecked by covid has to make any projection of Kotkaniemi going forward a bit more difficult. What will rub salt in the wound is that I can see Kotkaniemi going to that deep Carolina team, slotting into the top6 somewhere and putting up a bunch of points just by being in the right spot for it. That's not something I see happening as easily in Montreal.

Yeah I think you hit on exactly why it was so effective as a revenge offer-sheet. It truly put Montreal in a lose-lose situation here.

If they match, they pay the player way more than they wanted in the present and probably in the future due to the QO issue. Not to mention the big off-ice distraction.

If they let him go, they're really not getting the return they'd want at this stage. Sure, Kotkaniemi could really fail to progress and in hindsight it may look like a good return, but there's no question that they didn't want to be forced into this "take it or leave it" return. Not to mention the pretty brutal optics of basically getting revenge-mugged for your recent #3OA center.

I don't totally understand the move in terms of making Carolina better, but I think it's pretty genius in terms of making Montreal worse.

I'd let him walk too, I think the alternative is worse, but it's still not a great scenario for Montreal here.

Long term answer to be the #2 behind Aho. Staal's getting older and Trochck isn't a long term solution. If Kotkoniemi steps in and starts living up to his draft position, what's likely a late 1st and 3rd isn't a big price for a guy locking that spot down for the next 5-10 years. And even if Kotkoniemi doesn't take off in Carolina, I think they can put him into a position to just put up points and pump his trade value if they just want to unload him later.

Aside from ticking off other teams I'm not sure I see a downside for Carolina in all of this.