A handful of offer sheets have been tendered in the NHL since the 2006 lockout. Were they smart moves by the teams that did them?
Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Shea WeberOn Tuesday, the St. Louis Blues tendered two offer sheets to players from the Edmonton Oilers – Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.
It was the first time a team targeted two players at once, doubling the possible hit to the Oilers and the risk to St. Louis.
Edmonton was susceptible to the move, but the strategy surprised, given the rarity of how often teams employ this tactic under the collective bargaining agreement. NHL offer sheets are rare, but they do happen. It doesn't always work, either.
The history of offer sheets shows a strong trend toward teams matching them. Those that don't may gain assets but haven't secured a true game-changer.
Sept. 12, 2006: Philadelphia Flyers tender offer sheet to Vancouver Canucks RFA Ryan Kesler
- Offered contract: 1 year, $1.9 million
- Was It The Right Move?: Vancouver matched, which wound up being a smart decision. First, the figure offered by the Flyers wasn't outrageous. There was no reason for the Canucks not to match. Kesler went on to become a key player for Vancouver, eventually winning the Selke Trophy in 2011. He had a solid career with the Canucks before playing his final five seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.
July 6, 2007: Edmonton Oilers tender offer sheet to Buffalo Sabres RFA Thomas Vanek
- Offered contract: 7 years, $50 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Sabres matched, which at the time felt like the right call. Vanek remained a top scorer for the Sabres for several seasons, but the Sabres never took advantage of his contributions. Buffalo became a franchise that couldn't attract big names or make the playoffs. Vanek wound up playing for several teams, including the New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets. Interestingly, he never joined the Oilers.
July 26, 2007: Edmonton Oilers tender offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks RFA Dustin Penner
- Offered contract: 5 years, $21.5 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Ducks chose not to match. The Oilers compensated Anaheim with first, second and third-round picks in 2008, which was a nice haul for a player who got more praise for being on a Stanley Cup winner than he likely deserved. This was an offer sheet the Oilers made after failing to land Vanek. They were, in many ways, desperate. Penner had a productive but inconsistent tenure with Edmonton, later winning a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings. Penner did have a 32-goal season with the Oilers in 2009-10. GMs Kevin Lowe (Edmonton) and Brian Burke (Anaheim) were sworn enemies for some time after this one.
July 1, 2008: Vancouver Canucks tender offer sheet to St. Louis Blues RFA David Backes
- Offered contract: 3 years, $7.5 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Blues matched the offer, and Backes went on to become their captain and a key leader for the team. He played there until the 2015-16 season, then played five more seasons split between the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks.
July 8, 2008: St. Louis Blues tender offer sheet to Vancouver Canucks RFA Steve Bernier
- Offered contract: 1 year, $2.5 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Canucks matched, and they probably could have let the player leave and taken the compensation. Vancouver later traded Bernier to the Florida Panthers as part of a package for Keith Ballard. By the time Ballard got to Vancouver, his days of 20- to 40-point seasons were over.
July 9, 2010: San Jose Sharks tender offer sheet to Chicago Blackhawks RFA Niklas Hjalmarsson
- Offered contract: 4 years, $14 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Blackhawks matched, which was certainly the right call. Hjalmarsson remained a crucial part of their defensive core, helping the team win two more Stanley Cups, and he did so at a reasonable price. He became known as one of the more underrated top four defensemen in the NHL, eventually finishing his career with the Arizona Coyotes. He played one final year in Sweden before retiring.
July 18, 2012: Philadelphia Flyers tender offer sheet to Nashville Predators RFA Shea Weber
- Offered contract: 14 years, $110 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Predators matched. It was a massive offer, keeping Weber as their captain and defensive stalwart until his eventual trade to Montreal in 2016 for P.K. Subban. Weber became known as one of the great defensemen of his generation with a booming shot. Injuries forced him out of the game after the Cup final run in Montreal. That said, the contract was gigantic, and for a team that didn't want to spend that kind of money and then eventually traded him, it's tough to say that was a big win. In fairness, his best seasons came right after the matched offer sheet.
Feb. 28, 2013: Calgary Flames tender offer sheet to Colorado Avalanche RFA Ryan O'Reilly
- Offered contract: 2 years, $10 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Avalanche matched the offer, and O'Reilly continued to develop into a premier two-way forward, later winning the Conn Smythe Trophy with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. He was a captain in St. Louis afterward and played for the Toronto Maple Leafs before now being with the Nashville Predators. As for what the Avalanche got out of him, it was two seasons at 64 and 55 points, respectively. They'll take it.
July 1, 2019: Montreal Canadiens tender offer sheet to Carolina Hurricanes RFA Sebastian Aho
- Offered contract: 5 years, $42.27 million
- Was It The Right Move?: The Hurricanes matched the offer, and Aho remained their top offensive player, continuing to lead the team in scoring. One could argue that the Canadiens did Carolina a huge favor by getting Aho to agree to terms on a contract with which they were comfortable. Montreal didn't offer enough to make the decision difficult. That said, the Hurricanes seemed to take this one personally as they targeted the Canadiens with an offer sheet two years later.
Aug. 28, 2021: Carolina Hurricanes tender offer sheet to Montreal Canadiens RFA Jesperi Kotkaniemi
- Offered contract: 1 year, $6.1 million
- Was It The Right Move? The Canadiens did not match, receiving first- and third-round picks in 2022 as compensation. That's probably much more than Kotkaniemi could fetch today, having not necessarily lived up to expectations. He hasn't scored more than 18 goals in any given season.
Aug. 13, 2024: St. Louis Blues tender offer sheets to Edmonton Oilers RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway
- Offered contracts: The Blues offered Broberg a two-year deal worth $4.58 million annually and Holloway a two-year contract at $2.29 million annually.
- Was It The Right Move?: The Oilers are on the clock, with seven days to match or accept compensation of a second-round pick for Broberg and a third-rounder for Holloway. Even though they'll be a contender regardless, Edmonton is in a tough spot. Broberg is someone they've invested time in, but $4.58 million is a huge jump, and he might not be worth it. Holloway's is a bit easier to stomach, assuming he can stay healthy. For the Blues, this will only be the right move if these players amount to something. The compensation isn't huge to give up, but the money spent on players who haven't proven themselves yet could backfire.
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