Most teams that have the compensation + cap + none of their own RFAs to worry about are likely bottom feeders next year (MTL included), even with Laffy in the fold. What team is going to want to give up a good chance at #1 and Celebrini next year (or even Eiserman at #2)? There have been only 2 offer sheets that haven't been matched in 25 years (and only 2 put forward in the past 10 years). GMs don't like this route generally because of how risky it could be. Now if there was a Stanley Cup contender with the majority of their core signed long term, that had the cap space, yes I would be scared... but there is no team that really fits all three boxes that ALSO has the draft picks.

The teams I see Montreal doing better than next year:
Chicago
San Jose
Arizona
Anaheim

I think Columbus is going to take a massive step forward with the additions they made on D + Werenski and Jiricek playing all season.

I view Montreal the same as the ducks-- have good players, but are missing too much (mainly defensively) to really compete with most teams.

The Hurricanes have the cap space to fight off an offer sheet and add another middle-six contract

Have you looked at their cap situation? Aho, Necas, Jarvis, Pesce, Skjei, etc. are all up after this year. If they spend 5-6m+ on Laffy (what it would take for NYR to not be able to match), they will be putting losing one of those players at risk themselves.

What they'll do is they'll offer him a 1/$6.2m contract which NYR won't be able to match and then get him down to 5-6 years at $3-4m next offseason as he'll be an RFA again. That $3-4m would still allow them to keep everybody.

Ok, and NYR can match the $6.2m offer, sign Miller to a $5mx4-5 year deal, buyout goodrow, then call up Othmann/Cuylle/Brodzinski/Leschyshyn/Garand and have $350k in cap space left. Yeah it's only a 20 man roster, but we've seen teams do that and NY can send down Othmann/Cuylle/Garand on off days (all waivers exempt) to save up accrual to eventually make it to 21 players. Is it ideal?- no, but it's possible.

And NYR have 7 days to match the offer, so whoever gets offer sheeted you work out the secondary contract before matching. The same team cannot offer sheet two players at the same time

I mean... they technically can but I don't see them matching an offer sheet that large. I see Miller getting more like a 5.5x4-5

If they can they will. And they'll give whatever secondary contract will work better for the cap-- whether its bridge or mid range

Why would they match an offer sheet in the $6m plus range which would screw the Rangers?

I was speaking about a 1 year deal which you posited. And it would only affect NYR's 4th line. The top 9 is pretty much set for next year. It doesn't really screw them, it just isn't ideal.