The Montreal Canadiens declined to match the offer sheet signed by restricted free-agent center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, making him officially a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
It’s the first time a player has switched teams through an offer sheet since 2007, when Dustin Penner joined the Edmonton Oilers. His previous team, the Anaheim Ducks, received three draft picks in compensation.
By declining to match the one-year, $6.1 million offer for Kotkaniemi, the Canadiens received Carolina’s first- and third-round picks in 2022.
Canadiens get taste of their own medicine
“Carolina has used a tool available to them in the collective bargaining agreement and we accept that decision,” said Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin.