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Canadiens send offer sheet to Hurricanes RFA Sebastian Aho
Carolina Hurricanes restricted free agent Sebastian Aho officially has a five-year offer from the Montreal Canadiens on the table worth an average annual value of $8.454 million.
The Canadiens have announced that they have tendered an offer sheet to restricted free agent Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes. The proposed contract is for five years, with an average annual value of $8.454 million.#GoHabsGo
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 1, 2019
It’s the breakdown of the finances that is what makes things interesting, though. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, each year of the proposed contract would kick off with a hefty signing bonus.
Breakdown of Aho offer sheet: $11.3M SB plus 700k salary in Year 1; $9.87M SB plus 700k salary in Year 2; $6.95 SB plus 750k salary in Year 3; $5.25 SB plus $750k in each of Year 4 and Year 5
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2019
With the Hurricanes operating as a small-market team, that’s definitely worth noting. The club has a week to match the offer.
“It's certainly a surprise, it's a surprise it wasn't more,” said Carolina’s general manager Don Waddell, according to Sara Civ of The Athletic. “Literally we got the email at 2:40 today so all people are not fully aware yet.
“I know my summer just got better because I'm not going to spend all summer working on a contract now,” he continued.
The 21-year-old restricted free agent led the Hurricanes with 30 goals and 83 points last season. He also finished atop team postseason scoring with 12 points in 15 games.
In his three seasons in the NHL, he’s scored at least 24 goals every year.
According to Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, through Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, Aho has accepted the offer and “wants to come to the Montreal Canadiens.”
If the Hurricanes decided not match the offer sheet (which, if we’re being honest, seems unlikely because that would be insane), they would receive a first-, second- and third-round pick from Montreal as compensation, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.
This is the first time the Canadiens have tendered an offer sheet in their illustrious history, and is the NHL’s first since the Avalanche matched the Flames’ offer for Ryan O’Reilly in 2013.
In the last two decades, only one offer sheet has been accepted. That was the Edmonton Oilers swiping Dustin Penner from the Anaheim Ducks in July of 2007. The winger inked a five-year, $21.5 million contract north of the border while the Ducks were compensated with a first-, second- and third-round pick in 2008.
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