Carolina busts through the offer sheet forbidden door

Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty ImagesThere was a time in the NHL when yesterday’s bombshell news about the Carolina Hurricanes signing Montreal’s restricted free agent Jesper Kotkaniemi would have been considered normal. In the 1990’s, dozens of players were signed by rival clubs, despite being restricted. This included some of the biggest names and best players of the day, including Sergei Fedorov, Joe Sakic, Brendan Shanahan, Keith Tkachuk, Teemu Selanne, Scott Stevens (not once, but twice) and Kevin Stevens — who Boston signed in the summer of 1991 after the Penguins’ first Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh matched the offer.

Kotkaniemi, however, represents just the 10th time in the 16 year…