i wish someone would state the obvious. the habs new the hurricane would match. it was as bergevin said to show the habs they were serious, but it was not a serious offer. they cant sign free agents or he is nunwilling to really take a chance. i likw thw habs and the youth they have re the draft . but if thats your plan stick with it. dont paly the offer sheet game thatr we all know never really pans out. shore up the d and maybe if there left a veteran center
- RR53

What he did was absolutey pointless.

I'm awaiting a twitter rant from Dundon, Bergevin basically did all this stunt to appease the mtl fanbase, so he can say at the presser, ''hey look we're trying here and we give a damn'', the barbarians are at the gates and he knows it .

id love for them to offer marner 8.5 million for 5 years.
- systemtool

I'm awaiting a twitter rant from Dundon, Bergevin basically did all this stunt to appease the mtl fanbase, so he can say at the presser, ''hey look were trying here and we give a damn'', the barbarians are at the gates and he knows it .
- Alexzanki

I hope the Leafs offer the Sharks Ceci and Kapanen for Burns so he can tell Leaf fans he tried. he cares.

Try what? The offer was a joke. It was never going to work. The only way a team walks away from an offer sheet is if it is a major over payment.

This was not at over payment. Some actual thought he would sign for more.

The only reason this had even a 1% chance of working was because of the belief that Carolina couldn't pay the huge bonus. That will not be an issue with the maple leafs.

Offer sheet Marner at 4 years 46 million and the leafs walk. The only problem with the Aho deal was it was too low. If it had been 10 mil I bet he is a Hab.

What he did was absolutey pointless.
- systemtool

There's nothing pointless about it. Carolina was offering 6M to Aho which was too low to his liking. How much would have he ended up signing without the offer sheet? For sure less than what he is now.

Putting more cap pressure on other teams is not pointless. It may not be directly rewarding for you immediately but that 1-2 million difference might make it so Carolina will be unable to get help at the trade deadline.

I hope we see more matched offers coming along. Next potential targets: Tkachuk, Point, Laine, Boeser, Rantanen...

I hope the Leafs offer the Sharks Ceci and Kapanen for Burns so he can tell Leaf fans he tried. he cares.
- systemtool

you have Barry, they do care

There are a lot of things that should have gotten Don Waddell (aka the second dumbest man in hockey after Bergevin) fired but this should be his final nail in the coffin. Montreal has the worst team in the league. Worst D and worst forward core. He is passing up on likely picks 1, 32, and 63. Lafreniere will run circles around Aho. As dumb as Bergevin is, Waddell may be even dumber.

There are a lot of things that should have gotten Don Waddell (aka the second dumbest man in hockey after Bergevin) fired but this should be his final nail in the coffin. Montreal has the worst team in the league. Worst D and worst forward core. He is passing up on likely picks 1, 32, and 63. Lafreniere will run circles around Aho. As dumb as Bergevin is, Waddell may be even dumber.
- Bolts91

There are a lot of things that should have gotten Don Waddell (aka the second dumbest man in hockey after Bergevin) fired but this should be his final nail in the coffin. Montreal has the worst team in the league. Worst D and worst forward core. He is passing up on likely picks 1, 32, and 63. Lafreniere will run circles around Aho. As dumb as Bergevin is, Waddell may be even dumber.
- Bolts91

There are a lot of things that should have gotten Don Waddell (aka the second dumbest man in hockey after Bergevin) fired but this should be his final nail in the coffin. Montreal has the worst team in the league. Worst D and worst forward core. He is passing up on likely picks 1, 32, and 63. Lafreniere will run circles around Aho. As dumb as Bergevin is, Waddell may be even dumber.
- Bolts91

You are a treasure, you know that? Please never leave us.

There are a lot of things that should have gotten Don Waddell (aka the second dumbest man in hockey after Bergevin) fired but this should be his final nail in the coffin. Montreal has the worst team in the league. Worst D and worst forward core. He is passing up on likely picks 1, 32, and 63. Lafreniere will run circles around Aho. As dumb as Bergevin is, Waddell may be even dumber.
- Bolts91

......Hey see you in 4

Take the full week - that 8.5 in cap space is untouchable for Bergevin until they formally match. I'm sure he's really popular in Raleigh right now...
- Deeps27

Karma for their Fedorov shenanigans.

You are a treasure, you know that? Please never leave us.
- BINGO!

What the hell is wrong with Waddell? That trade with Calgary was one of the worst deals I've ever witnessed. Now this? Aho is not worth a guaranteed top pick.

Offer sheet Marner at 4 years 46 million and the leafs walk. The only problem with the Aho deal was it was too low. If it had been 10 mil I bet he is a Hab.
- matty12345

He isn't offering that contract to Marner. That would cost the Habs 4 first rounders. That is something Bergevin will not do.

He offered 8.45 specifically because the compensation was only going to be 1st, 2nd and 3rd. If he went up to 8.5 it would have cost 2 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

So he was unwilling to offer up 2 1st for Aho, but you think he will offer 4 for Marner? I love Marner, but he isn't worth 3 first rounders more then Aho.

There are a lot of things that should have gotten Don Waddell (aka the second dumbest man in hockey after Bergevin) fired but this should be his final nail in the coffin. Montreal has the worst team in the league. Worst D and worst forward core. He is passing up on likely picks 1, 32, and 63. Lafreniere will run circles around Aho. As dumb as Bergevin is, Waddell may be even dumber.
- Bolts91

You know Montreal barely missed the playoffs last year and that Aho is a legit superstar, right?

How many times are Leaf fans going to mention waiting till the deadline when the Habs have extra cap space lol?

You know Montreal barely missed the playoffs last year and that Aho is a legit superstar, right?
- Hunkulese

I long for the days where 100 point players were considered superstars. 30 point-83 points is considered a superstar? He's a good player. A second/third line center on the Bolts.

Scott Gomez also made 80+ points once. Was he also considered a superstar?

Montreal barely made the playoffs with the help of a lot of officials and the league. Fact is I can't wait for their dirty, putrid piece of poop province to separate so the league can get rid of that garbage team.

I long for the days where 100 point players were considered superstars. 30 point-83 points is considered a superstar? He's a good player. A second/third line center on the Bolts.

Scott Gomez also made 80+ points once. Was he also considered a superstar?

Montreal barely made the playoffs with the help of a lot of officials and the league. Fact is I can't wait for their dirty, putrid piece of poop province to separate so the league can get rid of that garbage team.
- Bolts91

Once Carolina sign off on the matching offer, Montreal will be able to offer sheet Marner.
- spatso

You think this is some intricate scheme? Why not offer sheet Marner first? The Aho offer effectively lowered the top RFA's values. If anything, Montreal just helped every team waiting for that first guy to sign and now they have something to base their offers off.

There's nothing pointless about it. Carolina was offering 6M to Aho which was too low to his liking. How much would have he ended up signing without the offer sheet? For sure less than what he is now.

Putting more cap pressure on other teams is not pointless. It may not be directly rewarding for you immediately but that 1-2 million difference might make it so Carolina will be unable to get help at the trade deadline.

I hope we see more matched offers coming along. Next potential targets: Tkachuk, Point, Laine, Boeser, Rantanen...
- wardancr

The projections for Aho's next deal were in the 10+ range... Given his value, 8.5 is a great deal for the canes.

If he doesn't sign the offer sheet, there was still a few months for a deal to be worked out. This has benefited the habs in no way.

they would be prevented from offersheeting other RFAs, which i have to imagine is the next step.
- DoubleDown

Considering he can still go 10% ofer the cap, he could still make a >$10.6M (4x1st rounders) offersheet, as the 4 1st picks must be available in the next 5 years, and only their 2020 1st rounder is "locked" until Aho’s OS is officially matched. But if Bergevin chickened out at the the perspective of losing 2 1st picks I don’t see it happening.

Except if he goes for 7 years and buys a couple of UFA years.

It's gotta be, right? I can't imagine Bergevin just walking away now that he's already started going down this path.
- BINGO!

you never know with him. Bergevin's effectiveness as a GM is cyclical. he's been making strong moves for about a year now so i'd say he might be ready for another "let Radulov walk and use the money to sign Karl Alzer" phase.

i'll say this... looking at a 3rd straight season out of playoffs and 3 straight seasons with tons of unused cap space won't play well in this city. and i cannot imagine it plays well with Carey Price and Shea Weber either.

I long for the days where 100 point players were considered superstars. 30 point-83 points is considered a superstar? He's a good player. A second/third line center on the Bolts.

Scott Gomez also made 80+ points once. Was he also considered a superstar?

Montreal barely made the playoffs with the help of a lot of officials and the league. Fact is I can't wait for their dirty, putrid piece of poop province to separate so the league can get rid of that garbage team.
- Bolts91

Back to back 30 goal seasons, +25 last year, played over 20 minutes a night, and did that all at 21. No one ahead of him in points last year was younger and only Point had a better +/-. Players almost never peak at 21 so his best hockey is still to come. Yeah, he's a superstar.

Considering he can still go 10% ofer the cap, he could still make a >$10.6M (4x1st rounders) offersheet, as the 4 1st picks must be available in the next 4 years, and only their 2020 1st rounder is "locked" until Aho’s OS is officially matched. But if Bergevin chickened out at the the perspective of losing 2 1st picks I don’t see it happening.

Except if he goes for 7 years and buys a couple of UFA years.
- _nay_

if the 2020 first is locked how can he offer 4 first rounders in the next 4 years?