Rejoint: juill. 2021
Messages: 1,051
Mentions "j'aime": 546
This contract reminds me a bit of Nico Hischier’s extension a couple of years ago, but on a smaller scale. At the time, Hischier hadn’t done anything at the NHL level to earn that contract, but he was only 21, and he was a first overall draft pick. Knowing that even superstars sometimes take a few years to develop, and having seen some signs that his best years were yet to come, New Jersey decided to gamble and offer him a contract that was an overpay based on his body of NHL work at that time, but could turn into an underpay if he could realize more of the potential he showed when he was drafted. Kotkaniemi is not Hischier, but I think Carolina’s thinking here was similar to New Jersey’s thought process with Hischier. In the cap era, you need to have some underpaid players.
Kotkaniemi actually had more leverage than Hischier, because if he didn’t sign, Carolina would have had to make him a qualifying offer of over $6M or let him become a UFA. That’s probably why a bridge deal wouldn’t work.