[News] Hurricanes officially match Aho offer sheet (5 years x $8.454 million)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Not really. Aho wanted a 5 year deal, the Canes were only offering him longer term deals.

This helps Aho more than the Canes.

What's in it for the Habs though? As said above they should have offered a few million more a season and they may have actually got the player in his prime for a decent cost.

[Erick Estrada]

TSN panel criticizing the Habs for the low offer making the whole exercise pointless.

[flamingred89]

I wonder what the feeling was like in Aho’s camp to accept the offer. Maybe 8.5 per year is correct value but I feel like he may have signed a little low. Especially thinking of the considerable difference in taxes he’ll pay in Montreal. He’s going to be giving up roughly 1 million just in income tax as compared to Carolina.

Have to think a 7 year 63 million dollar deal might’ve been doable.

[TheScorpion]

I feel like Montreal wants to trade for Aho, especially if he wants to play there. They might've offered a lower salary that would fit into their structure if they trade for him after-the-fact.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I feel like Montreal wants to trade for Aho, especially if he wants to play there. They might've offered a lower salary that would fit into their structure if they trade for him after-the-fact.

He can't be traded for a year after signing the offer sheet though.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by flamingred89

I wonder what the feeling was like in Aho’s camp to accept the offer. Maybe 8.5 per year is correct value but I feel like he may have signed a little low. Especially thinking of the considerable difference in taxes he’ll pay in Montreal. He’s going to be giving up roughly 1 million just in income tax as compared to Carolina.

Have to think a 7 year 63 million dollar deal might’ve been doable.

I bet Aho's thinking was that Carolina would certainly match. He gets exactly the terms he wanted without having to go to another team; he was reportedly not interested in a longer term deal.

[bigrangy]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I feel like Montreal wants to trade for Aho, especially if he wants to play there. They might've offered a lower salary that would fit into their structure if they trade for him after-the-fact.

Yeah but now the Canes will have a 1C making realistically 3C money for 4 years once he’s even eligible to be traded again.

Unless the Canes management come down with a severe case of stupid, Aho will be there for at least another 4 years imo.

[PlayfulGenius]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

TSN panel criticizing the Habs for the low offer making the whole exercise pointless.

I suspect MTL figured they might get lucky with a steal of a contract if CAR owner wasn't able to pay the signing bonus... no risk, really, so I don't agree with the panel here. MTL may feel there's only a 10% they get teh player, but again, there's zero risk.

Aho likely couldn't get the TERM he wanted in CAR, so he signs this deal, also knowing it's 90% likely that CAR matches the offer, and he gets the deal he wanted, anyway.

Seems like a simple, win-win, to me.

EDIT : as Textcritic mentioned above

[TheScorpion]

Big if true.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1145777851293196288

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by PlayfulGenius

I suspect MTL figured they might get lucky with a steal of a contract if CAR owner wasn't able to pay the signing bonus... no risk, really, so I don't agree with the panel here. MTL may feel there's only a 10% they get teh player, but again, there's zero risk.

Aho likely couldn't get the TERM he wanted in CAR, so he signs this deal, also knowing it's 90% likely that CAR matches the offer, and he gets the deal he wanted, anyway.

Seems like a simple, win-win, to me.

EDIT : as Textcritic mentioned above

What's the win for Montreal? I would think this is they type of deal the GM's hate the most because it dictates their contract for them. I would think most would prefer a big deal with major compensation so they can at least have options. There was no option for Carolina other than to match a deal that was written up by another GM.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

What's in it for the Habs though? As said above they should have offered a few million more a season and they may have actually got the player in his prime for a decent cost.

Habs still have to build a team with Aho. Much more difficult with Aho at $2 million more per year.

The whole basis of the offer sheet is that the Canes can't afford to pay Aho $21 million in a calendar year

[cracher]

Small number for such a great player. I’m going to tin-foil this one and guess who bought drinks and dinner when the GMs were all hanging out in YVR.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Habs still have to build a team with Aho. Much more difficult with Aho at $2 million more per year.

The whole basis of the offer sheet is that the Canes can't afford to pay Aho $21 million in a calendar year

Dundon put down $70 million cash to become part owner of a football league for a few months only to shut it down. He can afford this easily. Just because he runs his team a certain way doesn't mean he can't afford to pay players. He just wants to do it on his terms.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Definitely seems like a half-hearted offer sheet attempt by the Habs.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

Yeah but now the Canes will have a 1C making realistically 3C money for 4 years once he’s even eligible to be traded again.

Unless the Canes management come down with a severe case of stupid, Aho will be there for at least another 4 years imo.

Since when is $8.5 million 3C money? At that figure, he's now the 12th highest paid centre in the league. Even in four years, he'll almost certainly be top 30.

I'm with the TSN panel on this one. Montreal wasted their own time to give Aho what he wanted and effectively do Carolina's job for them.

[sureLoss]

Eric Engels @EricEngels
Marc Bergevin says he didn't go to the next threshold on the offer because Aho accepted the one he presented and that it wouldn't make that much of a difference in Carolina matching or not. He says the signing bonus over next 12 months is the real threat to Carolina matching.

[rhino]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Has Aho accepted it?

It’s only an offer sheet if the player signs it.

[ignite]

Could the Cane's hypothetically trade Aho's rights to another team during this week?
... with the acquiring team matching the Hab's offer-sheet.

[bigrangy]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Since when is $8.5 million 3C money? At that figure, he's now the 12th highest paid centre in the league. Even in four years, he'll almost certainly be top 30.

I'm with the TSN panel on this one. Montreal wasted their own time to give Aho what he wanted and effectively do Carolina's job for them.

With 21 million paid out before the 2020/21 season starts, he’ll be getting paid essentially 21 million for 4 years of playtime, 3C money. Carolina isn’t a cap team afaik so I dont think they care about the cap hit as much as the salary.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

What's in it for the Habs though? As said above they should have offered a few million more a season and they may have actually got the player in his prime for a decent cost.

Maybe Montreal is playing a longer game here? Jesper Kotkaniemi just had a fantastic rookie season, and is part of a big crop of RFAs coming off their ELCs in 2021 including Elias Petterssen, Brady Tkachuk, and Rasmus Dahlen. Does this also help to set the RFA market lower for this year, and into the near future?