Does the Jesperi Kotkaniemi Offer Sheet Affect the Bruins?

I’m not going to get into all the details surrounding the Carolina Hurricanes offer sheet of Montreal Canadiens Center Jesperi Kotkaniemi since all of the information is already available. Most people have an opinion ranging anywhere from “it’s childish” to “it’s genius”. Rightfully, you are entitled to your opinion.

But does this affect your Boston Bruins in any way? The answer is probably.

There is no love lost between Canadiens Owner Geoff Molson and Hurricanes Owner Tom Dundon. I can’t imagine a situation where these two teams would trade with each other as long as both are making the final decisions for their respective teams. However, this is the NHL where surprising things happen often. So, the small benefit might be that it eliminates one of the teams if the other is looking to make a trade.

But here is where it could really affect the Bruins. If you believe the Bruins have had or still have any interest in acquiring Christian Dvorak of the Arizona Coyotes, then this has a dramatic effect.

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong has fielded plenty of calls about his centreman but he has held firm in his asking price. And he may have just won the battle by waiting.

Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has been calling his counterparts to see if there is a centreman available he could trade for. And if Bergevin is successful in finding that pivot, he can walk away from the offer sheet signed by Kotkaniemi and reap the benefits of $6.1 million in cap savings while gaining a first and third round draft pick as compensation from the Canes. That center is likely Dvorak.

It’s that compensation that has tightened the screws on Don Sweeney. Bergevin now has, or will once (if) he walks away from the offer sheet, to use those assets to flip for Dvorak.

That’s a price too steep for Sweeney.