Aaaaaand as expected...they match.

But up it one level of comp.TBL is in a much tougher cap situation than CAR.

How does this deal impact the impending Marner contract? Is Marner really worth much more than Aho?

They match as expected. You won't get a RFA top line centre when you offer market value. No matter how you structure the deal. Aho used Montreal to get the term he wants.

Now wait for the offersheet to Point in an attempt to screw the term for Tampa

Because of course they did! What a great contract for a great player!

Agreed, Dundon should be sending Bergevin a thank you card!

It won't affect Marner. Money isn't the problem and the Leafs offered him enough. The term is the struggle. Marner wants to be an UFA when entering his prime

Good idea to match. Is this going to be the end of the offer sheet for a while? Because it seems like now that it's been matched, it might scare teams away again. Or will Montreal offer sheet someone else?

My guess is we won't see any more this year, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Montreal offer sheet someone else. @Pointerr21 What would you think if MTL offer sheets Point? (I doubt it happens, but if it does.)

Marner plays with several elite goal scorers both 5on5 and on the PP. Aho has TT and Justin Williams, lol. Aho is also a natural Center and better defensively than Marner. Anything over $9M for Marner now is an overpay.

There's a reason the canes wanted term..do you think mackinnon will sign for 6 mill when its up? or more like 15MM?

Aho is going to get paid much sooner and then won't be on such a team friendly 8.5, which is another reason car is annoyed

That’s exactly why I am a yes. I love that a team finally used an offer sheet and that the cap hit was reasonable to keep the picks low (for the player) but real money impactful.

I love everything about this offer sheet and it would mean even more if the Hurricanes hadn’t matched and let the league know that they aren’t serious about keeping their superstars in the future.

Yeah I know. But Toronto offered him like 8x11M. He won't sign at all if you start offering below 10M

Defensively speaking Aho is not what he's advertised as. Carolina's stacked defense last year definitely helped him. You look at a heat map of him in his own zone on 5v5, he's virtually useless. Great offensive talent, and yes I think you're right, if Aho had Tavares, Marner, Rielly on the PP, he'd be racking up 100 pts too.

Couldn't disagree more.
For 5 years, Marner gets less than Aho period.

He should get less. Aho is a centre, scored 30 goals and he carried his team. But the Leafs offered him like 8x11M. If you offer him less than Aho, you won't sign him at all. Would be a massive surprise if Marner signs for less than 10M

8 years, Aho would get more than 8.4 too

Aho got like a 8x6M offer from the Canes. If it was up to them, Aho would never got a 5 year term. That's the big reason why Aho signed this offer sheet. Carolina is happy with the AAV but that term. Marner won't get 11M on a 5 year deal but it'll already be a miracle if he signs 5x9.5M. The only RFA that really will be affected by this contract is Rantanen. Avs have their core at low contracts and they will use this contract in the negotiations

HONEST QUESTION:

If you honestly believe Marner will get $11,650,000 x 5 years ... what do you think Rantanen and Point will get ???

He're are the most basic stats for your comparison (Marner places 3rd in every category):

Mitch Marner, RW
1.14 = Points per Game (2019-20)
0.31 = Goals per Game (2019-20)
0.98 = Points per Game (last 2 years)
0.29 = Goals per Game (last 2 years)

Mikko Rantanen, RW
1.18 = Points per Game (2019-20)
0.42 = Goals per Game (2019-20)
1.11 = Points per Game (last 2 years)
0.39 = Goals per Game (last 2 years)

Brayden Point, C
1.16 = Points per Game (2019-20)
0.52 = Goals per Game (2019-20)
0.99 = Points per Game (last 2 years)
0.45 = Goals per Game (last 2 years)

If money isn't Marner's problem ... I'm sure the Leafs are willing to offer a 5 year contract that's identical to Aho's ... I just doubt Marner would sign it.

He seems to want money and term ... but I think he'll eventually have to prioritize one and sacrifice on the other.

I would love for him sign a 2-3 year bridge-deal though ... something between $6,750,000 and $7,750,000 would be dope.

Oh well I guess I wasn't clear. Money isn't the issue on their negotiations. Leafs showed that they are willing to give him a lot of money. The real problem is the term. Marner wants an UFA when entering his prime, just like Matthews. Obviously, Toronto don't want this at all. That's why he's still unsigned

Can Bergevin pls Offer-sheet Marner too.....

But Marner has to accept the offer sheet

I know there was a rumor of Marner turning down $11,000,000 x 8 years ... but to be honest I don't think that actually happened.

When you say "the Leafs showed that they are willing to give him a lot of money" ... what exactly are you referring to?

.

LETS BE REAL HERE ... Aho and Domi will look AMAZING together next year ... once Domi signs his offer-sheet. !

Conspiracy theory:

Carolina and Montreal were in cahoots to get Aho signed this way the whole time.

Intangible benefits are the main gain here:

- Bergevin shows to fans he's doing everything he can to improve team. Gets a player like Aho to sign for what many believe is less than he is worth but in Carolina. Helps Habs negotiate less for Domi as a result. If Aho is 8.4, Domi is what 7M maximum? Maybe even less?
- Dundon and organization show they are willing to spend to make team better. Creates a little excitement and publicity for the team. Waddell and Bergevin work together and hold no ill will to each other behind close doors - In the media they do the opposite for the spectacle sake.
- Aho gets a ton of money up front and much closer to what he originally wanted to probably sign for.


I get the tactic MB used in this offer sheet but its only slightly relevant when you think about it.. Yeah coughing up 21M in bonuses right away is a tough pill to swallow but what exactly would have been the alternative? Its not like Aho wasn't already going to get some nice signing bonuses when they eventually signed him and it seems that people forget after July 1st of 2020, half of his contract would have been paid out already. Meaning in the final 3-4 years it would have been much less expensive for Dundon. Making up for the expensiveness of the first 12 months of the contract. I mean short term pain for long term gain at the end of the day.

I think the only negative impact of a offer sheet being matched is the ill will that GM may have against the GM who offered it. So you have to be 99.9% the other GM won't match. Unless, that is, it was designed to be matched and essentially used to benefit both teams in intangible ways.