Canadiens' offer sheet to Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho has hefty signing bonuses
The Montreal Canadiens submitted the NHL’s first offer sheet since 2013 by offering Carolina Hurricanes restricted free agent Sebastian Aho a five-year deal worth $8.454 million per season.
The offer, accepted by Aho, would pay him $21 million over the first year.
"It's certainly a surprise," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell told reporters. "Actually, I was surprised it wasn't more."
The Hurricanes have seven days to decide whether to match the offer and keep Aho, 21, or accept the compensation of the Canadiens’ first-, second- and third-round pick in 2020.
The Canadiens made the offer right below where two first-round picks would be the compensation.
Aho is the Hurricanes’ most important player, a 30-goal scorer who is just starting to explore the depths of his talent.
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According to TSN, the Aho offer includes an $11.3 million signing bonus, plus $700,000 salary in the first year, a $9.87 million signing bonus and $700,000 salary in the second season and a $6.95 million signing bonus and a $750,000 salary in the third season. The fourth and fifth years have a $5.25 million signing bonus plus a $750,000 salary.
The Aho offer sheet is the first in the NHL since February 2013, when-then Colorado Avalanche center Ryan O’Reilly agreed to one with the Calgary Flames. The Avalanche immediately matched.
Since 2006, eight offer sheets have been submitted and all but one (Dustin Penner in 2007) has been matched.
The Hurricanes are owned by Tom Dundon, who recently filed in bankruptcy court for the return of $70 million he invested in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.
This past season was his first full season as an NHL owner and the fact that he doesn’t have much history as a league owner could have influenced the Canadiens’ decision to target the Hurricanes, who made the playoffs for the first time this season in a decade.
Waddell said at a 3 p.m. news conference that he had to talk to Dundon, who was on a golf course in Aspen, Colorado, that had in-and-out cell service.
Reports said the Hurricanes offered a $7.5 million average over eight seasons, while Aho wanted a $9.5 million average over five seasons.
"They told us on Friday that no counter(offer) was coming, so we figured this was in the workings," Waddell said.
The average salary shouldn’t be shocking to the Hurricanes. The front-loaded aspect of the contract is what would cause any pause.
But it would be difficult to let Aho walk away. The Hurricanes are still trying to win back their fans, and not matching the offer wouldn't help that cause.
"I know my summer just got better because I'm not going to have to spend all summer negotiating a contract now," Waddell said. "We'll make a decision and then move on."