Habs Offer Sheet for Aho
- Thread starter jeffbear
- Start date
:lol
There's a decent chance that Carolina's team cap hit this season will be higher than Montreal's. That's a complete non-issue ... same as 90% of the garbage Habs Twitter has been projecting into the void the last couple of days.
This. Hopefully all of this agita will settle into the bottom of the glass eventually. Because we've moved past hockey into some weird weird stuff at this point. NOT speaking of this board so much as hockey internet in general.
I hope we don't hold a grudge against Aho (maybe his agent). This is simply business. Teams jettison players. Players reject teams. All kinds of reasons.
What I am choosing to believe:
* Old-school hockey men and media (who have shown themselves to have long standing biases) applied a mix of Carolina under Karmanos and Dundon spending perceptions (for non-On Ice positions) to cause themselves to believe that we can't, and won't, spend money.
* Aho's agent exploited that view, while accelerating getting his client a preferred style deal.
* Mtl "fell for it"--but also served some purpose of being able to tell their fans "We tried to spend money and improve the team, really we did"
* The agent supported that perception with the "Carolina can't match easily" interview
* Aho is a kid----if agent said "We can be done with this quickly", he said "sure."
* Dundon, publically, is playing this right---"We love Aho (and that hasn't changed), we just hate is agent" --and even taking it to not that he got the offer sheet, but that he did so without offering a counter proposal to the Canes (that he said he was going to do).
It's business and the Canes won the deal. Move on. Hopefully, the old school hockey world retains their biases, while we spend money and make smart, financially sound moves guided by strong analytics (but not governed by them).
What I am choosing to believe:
* Old-school hockey men and media (who have shown themselves to have long standing biases) applied a mix of Carolina under Karmanos and Dundon spending perceptions (for non-On Ice positions) to cause themselves to believe that we can't, and won't, spend money.
* Aho's agent exploited that view, while accelerating getting his client a preferred style deal.
* Mtl "fell for it"--but also served some purpose of being able to tell their fans "We tried to spend money and improve the team, really we did"
* The agent supported that perception with the "Carolina can't match easily" interview
* Aho is a kid----if agent said "We can be done with this quickly", he said "sure."
* Dundon, publically, is playing this right---"We love Aho (and that hasn't changed), we just hate is agent" --and even taking it to not that he got the offer sheet, but that he did so without offering a counter proposal to the Canes (that he said he was going to do).
It's business and the Canes won the deal. Move on. Hopefully, the old school hockey world retains their biases, while we spend money and make smart, financially sound moves guided by strong analytics (but not governed by them).
ThinIce
Well-known member
+1 - great summary. Aho may have dinged his potential to be a future captain on this team, but he's making a boatload of money for a player still at the start of his career. Time heals all...but people have long memories.
Here's what I'm choosing to believe after sufficient time to process this whole mess ... that what I believe is fairly irrelevant. And that's not a shot any anyone still slogging through the arguments. I just think that the only thing that actually matters is that the Canes ended up with Aho signed to a reasonable cap hit and can now figure out the budget going forward with some confidence. Everything else is kind of window dressing.
bagopux
Well-known member
I don't think the question of whether Aho wants to be here or would rather be somewhere else is window dressing. It could become a locker room issue. However, I don't think it will because (1) it may not be true, and if you choose to believe Dundon/Waddell, it's entirely not true; (2) it's not uncommon for players (especially RFAs) to be playing in places that are not their #1 choice, or even their #10 choice, but they do it and do it well because pro athletes know that that is just the way it is (except in the NBA); and (3) Aho is well-liked in the room.
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
I look at what Auston Matthews did in his negotiating with Toronto as a similar path to becoming a UFA the fastest. He signed the 5 year term taking him to unrestricted free agency sooner where he can choose wherever he wants to go at whatever price someone wants to pay him at the tender age of 26, which might even include the desert of Arizona if they ever get a new rink in let's say 4 to 5 years! The deal he signed is also heavily front loaded.
Aho now gets the shortest path to unrestricted free agency, and for all these young stars, that seems pretty important to them.
Aho now gets the shortest path to unrestricted free agency, and for all these young stars, that seems pretty important to them.
I think it is. He doesn't NOT want to be here, which is the only way it would actually matter. That's the part everybody seems to be missing in this. He agreed to sign a piece of paper that would guarantee he either played here or in Montreal. That is not rejecting either option. It is in fact accepting both options.
JamesNorthern
Active member
This whole thing, whatever anyone tries to tell me, is very disheartening.
In what specific way?
TheBigKahuna
Well-known member
Aho needs to come out, like yesterday, and call his agent a liar, and say he exaggerated.
You know that's not gonna happen, right? He's going to mumble something about being happy to be back in Raleigh with a new contract that he's comfortable with and he's looking forward to getting back to work with the boys when camp opens ... and that's going to be it. Almost anything other than that would flat out shock me.
So. He says something similar to what I've described ... what then?
HurryCanes
Well-known member
To me it’s one of those situations that only time will tell what the narrative ends up being. If Aho turns into the player we hope he will and he’s the “model citizen”, maybe the stench of this wears off. To me this is a bit like your girlfriend cheating on you. Do you ever totally forget about it, especially when hard times hit? I feel there had to be at least a small shred of evidence that he might sign it. Oh well, moving on and here’s to hoping the next five years and beyond are great!
I mean, I understand a lot of the "narrative" discussion ... I guess.
Here's what I can't escape though. A lot of fans seem to be laboring under the impression that their favorite players on their favorite teams would never want to play for another team. That's patently absurd. Equally absurd is the notion that a player signing a contract with a team indicates some sort of oath of everlasting fealty and devotion. It's a player contract, not a freaking marriage contract.
Yeah, you want guys on your roster who actually want to be there. They play better, for starters. But to act like there's only one team in the NHL where ANY player would be comfortable is silliness.
Here's what I can't escape though. A lot of fans seem to be laboring under the impression that their favorite players on their favorite teams would never want to play for another team. That's patently absurd. Equally absurd is the notion that a player signing a contract with a team indicates some sort of oath of everlasting fealty and devotion. It's a player contract, not a freaking marriage contract.
Yeah, you want guys on your roster who actually want to be there. They play better, for starters. But to act like there's only one team in the NHL where ANY player would be comfortable is silliness.
Trust me, the way this CBA is written to benefit teams early in players' careers has lead directly to the league getting younger. It also sort of accidentally lead to the league getting more interesting to watch, but that ain't way you see a ton of younger players in the league. They're in the league because they're cheap labor with less negotiating rights and less freedom of movement. Just like teams are stupid to ignore negotiating leverage when they have it, so are players. There are right and wrong ways to do that, obviously ... but use it or lose it
I have zero issue with Aho using the tools he had available to get the deal he wanted. Front loaded money. Lockout proof and fastest path to free agency. And fwiw I don’t think this will change what fans think of him.
He didn’t try to leave or say he doesn’t want to be here. He did what he can to monetize his talent. It’s his job. Which of us would not listen to other job offers or if offered use it as leverage to get more $$.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
He didn’t try to leave or say he doesn’t want to be here. He did what he can to monetize his talent. It’s his job. Which of us would not listen to other job offers or if offered use it as leverage to get more $$.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
