It looks as though the Carolina Hurricanes may have scored a second big win over the Montreal Canadiens this off-season.
Defenceman Jake Gardiner reportedly turned down a three-year, $15.75-million contract, with an average annual value of $5.25 million, from the Habs in early July, according to La Presse’s Alexandre Pratt.
Le Canadien a offert 15,75M$ pour trois ans à Jake Gardiner. Il a préféré aller en Caroline pour 1,2M$ de moins par saison. Pourquoi?
Ma chronique https://t.co/dL4eo9E2N6— Alexandre Pratt (@alexandrepratt) September 10, 2019
The long-time Toronto Maple Leafs rearguard ended up waiting and signing a four-year deal with a $4.05-million AAV to join the Hurricanes last week.
Pratt speculated that Gardiner may not have wanted to play under the microscope of another Canadian market.
Earlier this summer, the Hurricanes thwarted the Canadiens’ attempt to poach star Sebastian Aho, matching a five-year, $42.27-million offer sheet.
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