Hurricanes tender Kotkaniemi

*Photo from the New York Post*

   One can describe this move by the Carolina Hurricanes as pure payback. The Hurricanes have tendered an offer sheet to RFA C Jesperi Kotkaniemi, according to a release by the team. The offer sheet is for one year worth just over $6.1 million. There is a $20 signing bonus, according to the Hurricanes.

   Kotkaniemi has signed the offer sheet from the Hurricanes, meaning that the Montreal Canadiens, his current team, now have 7 days to either match the offer sheet and keep Kotkaniemi around, or take draft pick compensation, which would send Kotkaniemi to the Hurricanes. The Canadiens would receive a first and a 3rd round pick if Kotkaniemi leaves.

   Two years ago, the Canadiens tendered an offer sheet to Carolina RFA Sebastian Aho, which the Hurricanes matched within a day. The Hurricanes have given out some payback, announcing the offer sheet in French on their Twitter, which is what the Canadiens do. They also tweeted out a picture of the reverse card from the game Uno, seemingly confirming that this is payback. The $20 signing bonus is special because Aho wears number 20 on his jersey.

   Hurricanes GM Don Waddell seemingly mimicked what Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin said about Aho's offer sheet two years ago. Waddell said "Jesperi Kotkaniemi accepted our offer. He wants to come to Carolina. He sees the core we've built here and he wants to be a part of that. We're proud, but there's still a waiting period. When you make an offer like that, we saw a vulnerable position. The offer, with the compensation and the core we have, we realized that it was the best chance we had to get the player."

   For reference, Bergevin said "Sebastian Aho accepted our offer. He wants to come to Montreal. He sees our youngsters coming up in the organization and he wants to be a part of that. We're proud, but there's still a waiting period."

   This offer sheet comes with a twist, as, no matter who Kotkaniemi plays for this season, he will have to be tendered $6.1 million as a qualifying offer next season, when he is still an RFA. That wasn't the case for Aho, as the Canadiens tendered him a 5 year deal with an AAV of $8.454 million, which nullifies his RFA years.

   The offer sheet to Kotkaniemi is just the 10th offer sheet given since 1998. The last offer sheet that led to a player actually changing teams was in 2007, when Dustin Penner went from the Anaheim Ducks to the Edmonton Oilers. Every other sheet since then has been matched.