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The Canadian and the risks of a hostile offer sheet for Dawson Mercer

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 13: Dawson Mercer #91 and Timo Meier #28 of the New Jersey Devils battle Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on April 13, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

This morning on BPM Sports, Martin Leclerc talked about the Dawson Mercer situation.

Basically, the young man is in a contractual impasse with the Devils. He’s a restricted free agent and doesn’t seem to be close to a deal with his team.

At the moment, he’s training with the Voltigeurs, his former junior club. My colleague Maxime Truman was right to say that he’s a candidate to go on strike in the next few days…

Should Dawson Mercer ever sign a bridge contract, a Shane Pinto-style deal (currently earning $3.75 million a year) might be a good match.

After all, the Devils’ player’s slump this year casts some doubt on the need to sign him long-term right now.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

But if the Devils and the player still want a long-term deal, it’s clear that the amount will have to be higher. And since the New Jersey club has $5.75 million to spare, that could be the problem.

There are undoubtedly several factors that explain why he’s still RFA, then.

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All this to say that right now, in the NHL, there are certainly teams looking at this and thinking that a player with such potential could be interesting. Martin Leclerc said so on the radio.

And one way to get him out is via a hostile offer sheet.

It’s not clear that Mercer wants to leave Newark, but if a good offer is put on the table, he might consider changing organizations.

And on that subject, here’s the table to see what a hostile offer sheet would cost.

(Credit: Cap Wages)

If the Habs, a club that can create salary surplus and needs young forwards with upside, wanted to go after Mercer via a hostile offer sheet, they’d probably have to shell out at least $6 million, just to put the Devils in trouble.

Please note: we don’t know if Kent Hughes is interested in this project. We’re just analyzing.

And for that, the Habs would have to shell out a first-round pick and a third-round pick. And when I say a first-round pick, I mean his first-round pick.

During Martin Leclerc’s column, Gilbert Delorme said he was in favor. But Anthony Desaulniers qualified his remarks by saying:

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If we’d done it last year, it would only have cost Ivan Demidov.

Because at the end of the day, there’s no way to “protect” a top-10 pick like in a trade. That’s the price you have to pay, and that’s just the way it works.

And with the Montreal Canadiens expected to draft in the top-10 – or close to it, at least – this year, that’s a… hefty price to pay for a Mercer, however good and ready to help right now he may be.

That’s probably why naughty clubs like the Habs or the Blue Jackets, who have to find a way to reach the salary floor in the wake of Johnny Gaudreau’s death, won’t necessarily go that route, in my opinion . But Mercer’s talent does make you think, though.

Meanwhile, Mercer continues to skate in Drummondville.

Overtime

– Reminder: today is September 11.

– Big news.

– Speaking of the Capitales.

– Jayden Struble takes nothing for granted. [BPM Sports]

– Quite a character.