Is it time for Don Waddell to get back at Marc Bergevin?
Remember when Marc Bergevin made an offer sheet to Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho in 2019?
The Habs had offered him a five-year deal, worth $8.460 million per year, plus signing bonuses that amounted to about $38 million. Don Waddell, the Canes' General Manager, matched the Canadiens' offer a few days later.
Waddell joked that he received the Habs offer at 2:40 p.m., and at 2:42 p.m. he made the decision to match the offer. According to him, he thought the contract was going to be much more monstrous. An annual salary of $8.460 million per season for a player like Aho is reasonable. It's the $38 million in signing bonuses that might have scared Waddell, considering the Hurricanes are not considered a big hockey market. However, that was not the case.
Could we see Don Waddell get back at Marc Bergevin this summer? Let's remember that the Habs are slow to come to an agreement with its young center Jesperi Kotkaniemi. So is this where Waddell should offer the Finn a big contract?
The Canes are currently trying to work out a deal with their star forward Andrei Svechnikov, so they'll have to save some money for him.
We're talking! How much could Waddell offer KK? Four or five million dollars for two or three years? That would cost Waddell a first and third round compensation pick, if that's the case.
In addition, the Hurricanes are likely to lose Vincent Trocheck next summer if the two sides can't come to an agreement. Trocheck is considered the team's second center, so the team will have to find a replacement if he leaves via the free agent market.
If you are Marc Bergevin, would you match such an offer? It's a huge thought, but objectively, we couldn't afford to lose KK that way...
