Analysis of the Kotkaniemi Offer Sheet

The big NHL offseason news of the week was a successful offer sheet by the Carolina Hurricanes for Jesperi Kotkaniemi. It’s a one year deal for $6.1 million and the Hurricanes must send a first and third round pick to the Canadiens. Kotkaniemi is 21 years old and was the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, he plays center/left wing. This successful offer sheet by the Hurricanes marks the first successful one since the Oilers succeeded in 2007.

Hurricanes Taking a Gamble

In giving Kotkaniemi this offer sheet, the Hurricanes are betting on themselves to improve Kotkaniemi’s game. His development was rushed by the Canadiens as he played in his first NHL game at just 18 years old. While his rookie season was very impressive for a player that young, he hasn’t been able to come anywhere close since. Consistency has been a struggle for Kotkaniemi, and that is a mild concern as he is about to enter his fourth NHL season.

But with that, there still is a ton of upside with Kotkaniemi, especially given his projected role with the Hurricanes. He’ll predominantly be a winger with the Hurricanes, which will help allow him to focus more on his scoring consistency. Plus, with working on the Hurricanes top six, he’ll have more support in trying to regain his scoring touch. And lastly there are his playoff stats which show some promise. Through 29 career postseason games he has 9 goals and an impressive 23.1% shooting percentage. While he may be a bit of a project, the Hurricanes made a worthwhile bet on a young player with a lot of long term potential.

The Canadiens lose… but also win 

Courtesy of Getty Images

The Canadiens undoubtedly lost when they weren’t able to match the Hurricanes offer sheet to Kotkaniemi. Losing a player picked third overall a mere three years ago is a major failure from the organization. But yet somehow, despite losing such a young potential filled player, the Canadiens still came out as partial winners from this whole ordeal. The biggest reason why is because of the draft compensation they acquired from the Hurricanes. The first rounder isn’t expected to be high given the Hurricanes contender status, but that’s not why it’s important. It’s important because the Canadiens became more flexible to trade a first rounder for Christian Dvorak. 

Dvorak is a 25 year old center/left wing from the Coyotes who has four years remaining on a 6 year, $26.7 million contract. While Kotkaniemi was more of a project, Dvorak is someone who can come in and immediately improve the offensive attack. Dvorak has scored 18 and 17 goals in his last two seasons, proving his consistent goal scoring ability. And at 25 years old, he’ll also be a big part of the Canadiens future as well. While this doesn’t offset losing a 21 year old top three pick, it does help significantly soften the blow. Plus considering the Canadiens are fresh off of a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, the immediate help is crucial for them in trying to return to the finals in the near future.

Featured image courtesy of Getty Images

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