Jesperi Kotkaniemi Is Now A Member Of The Carolina Hurricanes!

The Montreal Canadiens will not match the Carolina Hurricanes' offer sheet to Jesperi Kotkaniemi. As a result of this, the Hurricanes will be giving their 2022 first- and third-round picks to the Canadiens as compensation.

The Canadiens will not match the Hurricanes' offer sheet to Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Montreal will receive Carolina's 1st- and 3rd-round 2022 Draft picks as compensation.#GoHabsGo https://t.co/ErFdL2ucEb
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 4, 2021

Last week, the Hurricanes shockingly signed Kotkaniemi to the offer sheet. With Carolina next season, he will be making $6.1 million.

The Canadiens drafted Kotkaniemi third overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Once viewed as a long-term piece of the franchise, his chapter with the team has come to a sudden end. In 171 games in Montreal, he had 22 goals, 40 assists and 62 points. In 56 games this past season, he scored five goals and had 20 points.

There is no denying that Carolina is spending a lot of money on Kotkaniemi based on his production at the NHL level thus far. However, he certainly has the potential to improve, as he is still just 21 years old. Now, Montreal has another hole at center that must be filled. We will have to wait and see what general manager Marc Bergevin has up his sleeve.

This is the first offer sheet that was not matched since 2007 when the Anaheim Ducks let Dustin Penner walk to the Edmonton Oilers.