The Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin met with the media this afternoon to discuss a bold day in his tenure with the organization as he sent an offer sheet to Sebastian Aho.
Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin held a press conference to discuss his role in the free agent frenzy. The Habs have extended an offer sheet to Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho, with pending compensation of a first, second and third round pick in next year’s NHL Draft.
Bergevin started the press conference with a nod to Andrew Shaw and Nic Deslauriers, thanking them for their time with the organization. The pair were traded in separate deals yesterday, with Shaw heading to the Chicago Blackhawks and Deslauriers off to play for the Anaheim Ducks. It was a classy gesture by the Habs GM to not forget about players who were recently shipped out of town.
Bergevin then discussed that Aho has accepted the offer sheet and the Hurricanes now have seven days to make a decision on whether they match or decline the contract and take the compensation.
He mentioned that Aho has shown a desire to play for the Montreal Canadiens organization and is excited to possibly join the growing crop of young players that the team has acquired. He said they identified Aho as a perfect fit for the group they have and he would be a first line center. They also decided this particular offer was the best chance to acquire the player.
Bergevin also mentioned that he had conversations with Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, suggesting that they discussed a possible trade before going this route.
He was also asked if missing out on Matt Duchene played a role in deciding to send out an offer sheet as well as why they didn’t make the offer larger, which would have included an additional first round pick in compensation.
Bergevin reiterated that this is a great offer for Aho and Aho agrees that it is. He seemed a bit agitated at this line of questioning and said they didn’t just throw this all together this morning and the offer takes into consideration the amount of risk involved for the team both in terms of cap hit and compensation and that this was the best fit for the player and the organization.
He also talked about how the signing bonus structure will certainly make it more difficult for the Hurricanes to match. There will be a bonus of nearly $12 million paid a few days after the contract is registered, and an additional $9 million in bonuses on July 1, 2020.
Bergevin was then asked if he has a plan B in case the offer is matched. He acknowledged there is risk and they need to be smart in the waiting period over the next seven days to not overspend on other players.
When asked if he is worried about retaliation from other GMs, Bergevin said he is responsible to Canadiens owner Geoff Molson and the fans of the Montreal Canadiens. He doesn’t think this will affect his negotiations with future RFA’s of his own like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling.
The main takeaway from Bergevin’s press conference and more importantly, his actions are that he is looking at any way possible to improve the Montreal Canadiens right now. He isn’t worried about what other GMs think, or the retaliation that may come his way.
Bergevin is showing he is bold and wants to make the Montreal Canadiens into a contender as soon as possible.