Offer sheets: the Canadiens did well to sign Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle

A few years ago, Marc Bergevin tried to get Sebastian Aho from the Hurricanes. It didn’t work out.

We wondered if the Hurricanes would retaliate (they did with Jesperi Kotkaniemi) and for a while, we thought the Habs GM should keep an eye on his young players.

One wonders if this was one of the reasons for Nick Suzuki’s hasty contract.

Of course, with the changing of the guard and the passage of time, the chances of the Hurricanes making a hostile offer to a Habs player for revenge are slimmer.

However, is it conceivable that some of the Habs’ youngsters could one day fall victim to an offer sheet for a reason other than revenge for Sebastian Aho… and from a club other than the Canes?

What I’m trying to say is that hostile offer sheets are likely to be on the rise in the NHL in general. At least, that’s what Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects is saying .

According to what he reports on X, two other teams were thinking of doing what the Blues did. I don’t know if he’s talking about an offer sheet specifically to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway or if he’s talking in general, but still.

Perhaps an indication that offersheets could become more prevalent… I heard from 2 other clubs that they strongly considered doing the same move St. Louis did.

With the complexities of the cap world, creative approaches are needed and offer sheets are a useful weapon.

– Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) August 15, 2024

With the salary cap getting harder and harder to manage, and executives looking greedier and greedier when it comes to talking about a deal, it’s interesting to think about.

And that’s when I think Kent Hughes did the right thing by signing Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle a year early.

Obviously, in a year’s time, the Habs GM wouldn’t have been caught flat-footed like the Oilers, so the chances of a club trying to “trap” the Habs would have been slim.

But still: securing two big pieces is a good thing.

In 2025, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Jordan Harris and Cayden Primeau are the Habs’ main candidates to receive an offer sheet. So there’s no catastrophe in sight.

But let’s keep this in mind when the club’s next wave of youngsters is looking for a contract in two, three or four years’ time. At that point, if the Habs have bigger financial commitments, it could be a different kettle of fish.