Nazem Kadri says the Toronto Maple Leafs didn't deal him for Tyson Barrie because of his suspensions.

"I know for a fact that didn't have anything to do with it," the Colorado Avalanche forward told reporters Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press. "They know I'm a heart-and-soul guy, and I'd do anything for my teammates. That was obviously shown - sometimes not necessarily in the best way - but my head and my heart were always in the right place."

On Monday evening, the Maple Leafs traded Kadri to the Avalanche along with defensive prospect Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round pick for Barrie, forward Alex Kerfoot, and a 2020 sixth-rounder.

Kadri was banned from eight of Toronto's last 14 playoff contests, all against the Boston Bruins, including the final five this past spring. The Leafs ultimately lost both series.

The veteran center was suspended three games for boarding then-Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in Game 1 of the 2018 matchup and was forced to sit out the remainder of the 2019 series for his cross-check to Jake DeBrusk's head in Game 2.

Kadri, who had spent his entire 10-year career with the Maple Leafs, said it wasn't his preference to be dealt but he's looking forward to joining another competitive club.

"It wasn't really my first choice, but at the end of the day the Colorado Avalanche are going to be contenders for many, many years to come," he said. "That makes this a lot easier."

He also expressed his feelings about the Leafs organization in a heartfelt Instagram post:

The 28-year-old regressed offensively in 2018-19 but still contributed 16 goals and 44 points in 73 regular-season games while recording a goal and an assist in the two playoff contests.

He poured in 32 goals in each of the two prior campaigns, and has notched 161 markers and 357 points in 561 career games.

The Leafs selected him seventh overall in the 2009 draft.

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Welcome to Puck Pursuit, a weekly NHL podcast hosted by John Matisz, theScore's national hockey writer.

Subscribe to the show on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.

In this episode, NHL news editors Josh Wegman and Sean O'Leary join John to discuss a variety of free agency-related topics, including:

• Canadiens tabling a subpar offer sheet
• Leafs-Avs complete ideal hockey trade
• Panarin a home run for Rangers
• Stars bulk up with Pavelski, others
• What's going on with the Wild?

... and more!

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The Montreal Canadiens shocked the hockey world on Monday when they signed Carolina Hurricanes restricted free-agent forward Sebastian Aho to a five-year, $42.27-million offer sheet. It was the first time since 2013 that an offer sheet had been signed.

For Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, who said Tuesday his club will match the offer sheet, it was apparently more of a nuisance than an actual obstacle.

"Everyone's trying to make their team better," Dundon told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "We've looked at all the ways to (do that), never came to the conclusion that the offer sheet was the best way. Your probability of succeeding is almost zero. It was proven that it was a waste of time."

Only one offer sheet - Dustin Penner in 2007 - hasn't been matched since 1997.

The $8.454-million cap hit on Aho's offer sheet was much lower than many expected for a player of his caliber. However, Montreal front-loaded the deal with $21.87 million to be paid out in bonuses over the first 12 months.

"This sounds terrible but writing that check is no big deal," Dundon said, according to The Athletic's Sara Civian. "The fact that you're (Canadian media) asking me if $20 million is a lot might be how we got in this situation."

Dundon became the majority owner of the Hurricanes on Jan. 11, 2018. Forbes estimated his net worth to be $1.1 billion in 2015.

Aho's agent, Gerry Johansson, added some drama to the situation by telling reporters that his client "100 percent" wants to play in Montreal.

"I couldn't care less about Sebastian's agent," Dundon told Civian. "It doesn't matter at all.

"There's no scenario where Sebastian Aho doesn't want to be on the Hurricanes. If he said that it would be different but he didn't. The fact that an agent said it means that there's no credibility to it, number one."

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The Carolina Hurricanes will match the Montreal Canadiens' offer sheet to Sebastian Aho, team owner Tom Dundon said Tuesday, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.

On Monday, Aho signed the five-year offer sheet, which carries an average annual value of $8.454 million. The deal is front-loaded with bonuses of $21.87 million - more than half of the total money in the contract - to be paid within the first calendar year.

"We're surprised," Dundon said of Montreal's offer. "We love the player and we're happy to have this done. And surprised someone would have thought this would work."

Dundon's comments echoed those of Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell, who said Monday that he was surprised the average annual value of Aho's offer sheet wasn't higher.

"This was an easy decision," Waddell added in a statement. "Sebastian is one of the best players in the league and the centerpiece of what we're building here. We've spoken to him throughout this process and he's made it clear that he wants to be in Raleigh and be a part of this organization.

"It's our job to manage our cap space as our players develop and hit free agency. There was no concern at any point that we would not be able to match this contract. Once again, the Carolina Hurricanes should not be underestimated. We have a plan and all the resources to win a Stanley Cup."

Before Carolina announced it would match the Canadiens' offer, Aho's agent, Gerry Johansson, said his client "100 percent" wanted to play in Montreal.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes will be prohibited from trading Aho for 12 months after they officially match the offer sheet.

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With the initial flurry of free agency in the rearview mirror, the hockey world now shifts its focus to the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes, who stole headlines July 1 with the NHL's first offer sheet since 2013.

The Habs officially filed their intent to pluck 'Canes leading scorer Sebastian Aho on Monday afternoon, tendering a five-year contract that pays $8.45 million annually. The 21-year-old Finn signed the agreement, giving Carolina a week to decide whether to match or not.

Aho's agent, Gerry Johannson, said his client is open to moving north.

"I think that Sebastian 100 percent wants to play in Montreal," Johannson told Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic. "He wouldn't have signed an offer sheet if he didn't want to play in Montreal."

While the cap hit is certainly reasonable for a player of Aho's caliber, the kicker on the deal is the signing bonuses; Montreal flexed its financial muscle by offering Aho more than $21 million over the first 12 months of the contract.

Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said he was surprised the value of the offer sheet wasn't higher and his club seems intent on matching. But Johansson believes forking over that much money so early in the deal isn't a simple process for a small-market team like Carolina.

"I don't think it's easy for Carolina," Johansson said. "I can tell you for sure, it's not easy for Carolina. Anybody who says this is easy is wrong. You can armchair quarterback any decision, but I can promise you this is an aggressive move ... It's a lot of money, and it's a lot of front-loaded money."

Aho had a career year in 2018-19, his third NHL season. He registered 83 points in 82 games before adding 12 more in 15 playoff contests.

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