HFNHL Phase 2 FA Results

[Canuck09]

This time around was much easier, though not without it's own challenges thanks to some very tight offers. Here are the results of Phase 2 signings...

RFA

Teams have until 9PM PST (12AM EST) on Sunday August 8th to match the below offers or receive the listed compensation. Please post in this thread if you intend to match or walk away from your player.

Andrei Kostitsyn $3,013,000 x 1 CHI (2nd to MTL as comp) MTL MATCHES
Andrew Ladd $3,013,000 x 4 DET (2nd to BUF as comp) BUF MATCHES
Bruno Gervais $1,500,000 x 4 CHI (3rd to NJ as comp) NJ DOESN'T MATCH, RECEIVES COMP
Chad Larose $1,500,000 x 3 NYR (re-signed)
Colin Fraser $1,000,000 x 1 MTL (re-signed)
Maxim Lapierre $994,000 x 4 ANA (no comp to ATL) ATL MATCHES
Brett Sterling $900,000 x 1 FLA (no comp to NJ) NJ MATCHES
Corey Potter $550,000 x 3 NYR (re-signed)
Matt Zaba $500,000 x 1 NYR (re-signed)

UFA

The following players have signed contracts with their new teams.

Paul Mara $1,300,000 x 2 PHX
Derek Boogard $990,000 x 2 DET
Ruslan Salei $950,000 x 1 FLA
Kirk Maltby $800,000 x 2 FLA
Nathan Paetsch $750,000 x 1 MTL
Cody McCormick $700,000 x 2 VAN
Jeremy Williams $650,000 x 1 MTL
DJ King $625,000 x 2 PIT
Peter Mannino $555,000 x 2 LA
Nate Guenin $550,000 x 2 LA
JP Lamoureux $550,000 x 1 PIT
Anders Eriksson $500,000 x 1 TB
Ben Walter $500,000 x 1 NYR
Steven Goertzen $460,000 x 1 NYR
Brian McGrattan $460,000 x 1 NYR
Chris Porter $460,000 x 1 NYR
Alex Foster $450,000 x 2 NAS

Undrafted Free Agents

The following players have signed contracts with their new teams.

Jay Beagle $900,000 x 1 DET
Simon Gysbers $900,000 x 2 CAL
Dan Ringwald $650,000 x 1 FLA
Patrick Killeen $600,000 x 3 PHX
Ben Holmstrom $550,000 x 2 ANA
David Van Der Gulik $450,000 x 3 NAS

Now that this is done regular FA procedures apply, please contact your respective agent to make any further signings.

Thanks to Matt for all your help, I'm pretty sure we're both glad to be done with this mess! And with that, I hand the reins back over to the Swingsteins, it's your show again...

Click to read more...

 

[Tampa GM]

Nice job Jeff! You deserve a vacation now.

I cant believe why I was so cheap this summer...I offered 1.250 for Mara, why didnt I offer him 100K more? Good question

I also lost out on Boogard, Salei and Maltby. Yes, I was also in the running for Ladd and Kostitsyn but my bids fail short on them. This summer I made offer sheets for 36M$ but ended up with zero players.

Not sure how I will manage to get a roster now..trade anyone?

I do have one question finally

Andrei Kostitsyn $3,013,000 x 1 CHI

My offer was for the same amount but four years instead of one. Why did Andrei choose 3M$ ahead of 12M$ in guarantee money? With signing one year he will became UFA next summer or?

 

[Brock]

Outstanding job with all of this Jeff (and Matt/anyone else who had something to do with this).

Can't believe I got all four guys I put in for. Now to see if Rich matches on Brett Sterling. That'd put me at 80. Nothing like being at the limit!

Also can't believe I got Ruslan Salei for only 950k, considering I just paid Christoph Schubert 1.1 mil and he's going to be an inferior player next year.

Also good to add some experience to my 4th line at a rather cheap price. He sure as hell isn't the player he once was, but it's good to have someone with good EX ratings for my 4th line or as a depth forward.

 

[Canuck09]

I do have one question finally

Andrei Kostitsyn $3,013,000 x 1 CHI

My offer was for the same amount but four years instead of one. Why did Andrei choose 3M$ ahead of 12M$ in guarantee money? With signing one year he will became UFA next summer or?

This one was the hardest decision for Phase 2 I thought.

We talked about it and decided a 1 year deal was better as it set a new base for a good QO for next year and keeps him in line with his 1 year deal in the NHL, versus locking him in long term at a potentially reduced salary. There's risk involved for the player but the Swingsteins like to keep things close with the NHL contracts so we felt it was best to do so here.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Peter Mannino $555,000 x 2 LA

Bastich! All for $5,000...

 

[kasper11]

Match on Sterling

Will not match on Gervais and will take the third.

 

[Dryden]

wow, I got one after all these years

Hey, Robb D it actually worked.

 

[Default101]

Thanks for all the hard work, looks like everything went smoothly for you guys.

 

[The old geezer]

Jeff and Matt - Many thanks and kudos on a fast efficient FA period. I know i gave some grief navigating the new processes and limits but in the end everything ran so well.

On to a different item, and I'm serious, is Buffalo allowed to match? Doing a rough calc (all his big contracts are sitting on the farm) I figure Buffalo is already about $2M over the cap. Even if he matched Ladd, the guy that Ladd replaces in the top 21 is <$1M so they would be approximately $4M over the cap.

 

[Vaive-Alive]

Nice work guys. I think this is the fastest wrap on FA I can recall.

GM Bruins

 

[Chuzwazza]

Given I offered Ladd 4 years at 2.8M before FA got here, and then again in FA after being turned down so he could see what the market was worth, I'm actually surprised he accepted your offer Drew. There aren't many players who are playing significant minutes on a team thats been to the conference finals 3 times in the last 4 years and the cup finals twice that turn down the only team they've ever played for to take 200K more tand subsequently pack up their life and move to a worse team. Obviously this is the HFNHL and not the NHL, but if someone in another city offered you a similar job but not quite as good, for a 7% raise in salary, would you really turn your life upside down for that?

As for the cap...I thought we had to be under the cap on a 3 point average for the whole season? not for opening day or at any other single point. Large numbers of GM's keep space early to go over at the deadline for playoff runs, so why should this situation be treated any differently just because its the other way around?

 

[Wildman]

Given I offered Ladd 4 years at 2.8M before FA got here, and then again in FA after being turned down so he could see what the market was worth, I'm actually surprised he accepted your offer Drew. There aren't many players who are playing significant minutes on a team thats been to the conference finals 3 times in the last 4 years and the cup finals twice that turn down the only team they've ever played for to take 200K more tand subsequently pack up their life and move to a worse team. Obviously this is the HFNHL and not the NHL, but if someone in another city offered you a similar job but not quite as good, for a 7% raise in salary, would you really turn your life upside down for that?

As for the cap...I thought we had to be under the cap on a 3 point average for the whole season? not for opening day or at any other single point. Large numbers of GM's keep space early to go over at the deadline for playoff runs, so why should this situation be treated any differently just because its the other way around?

Josh,

I think your statement here completely false. Here is your email offer for Ladd which you bumped to $2M in the end:

Andrew Ladd (RW): 2 years x 1.5M Young forward showed a lot more
promise last season than he has this year. Seems to be stuck on the 3rd line in chicago, and with Kane, Toews, Hossa etc around it seems that the 3rd line will be his line fore some time yet. We figure he nearly doubles his salary, and with a 2 year deal, gets a chance to earn big if his numbers jump soon. otherwise, we'd also be happy to offer him 3 years x 1.7M. Whichever your client prefers.

 

[Wildman]

Great job Jeff and Matt on Free Agency. I know I had few email exchange with Jeff which may have caused you a headache.

 

[The old geezer]

As for the cap...I thought we had to be under the cap on a 3 point average for the whole season? not for opening day or at any other single point. Large numbers of GM's keep space early to go over at the deadline for playoff runs, so why should this situation be treated any differently just because its the other way around?

It was a question I posed not a statement of fact so your response above may be the case. I raised it for 2 reasons (in both cases my memory is vague on these) ...
(i) It had been raised before that the NHL has a maximum amout a team can temporarily be over the cap and it had been asked whether we should do the same in the HFNHL - I do not remember what the outcome of that conversation was.
(ii) While the 3 point average during the season is correct, I vaguely recall it later being added a team could not start the season over the cap. I'm a little more certain on this one but not 100%.

I have to admit though, the extent of necessary moves to get under would be tough. Assuming the next best player outside the top 21 is $1M it would take moving out $5M before the season starts. If done after even one of the cap measures you'd have to move almost $7M in salary to average down. Whether that sort of roster overhaul is worth going through to match the contract for a 38 point player last season remains your decision.

 

[Canuck09]

While I don't know what the specific number is, you're allowed to be a fair bit above the cap in the offseason in the NHL so we're allowed to do the same thing here. Look no farther than the Canucks...Sean was well above the cap ($60m+ Sean?) once all his re-signings kicked in and he had to dump multiple big contracts to get back under.

So...I see no problem at all in Josh matching Ladd if he chooses to do so. If it puts him over the cap he'll have to make other moves to adjust, which won't include trading Ladd as he will have a NTC for the coming season.

 

[Hossa]

While I don't know what the specific number is, you're allowed to be a fair bit above the cap in the offseason in the NHL so we're allowed to do the same thing here. Look no farther than the Canucks...Sean was well above the cap ($60m+ Sean?) once all his re-signings kicked in and he had to dump multiple big contracts to get back under.

So...I see no problem at all in Josh matching Ladd if he chooses to do so. If it puts him over the cap he'll have to make other moves to adjust, which won't include trading Ladd as he will have a NTC for the coming season.

I don't recall any specific rule about how much an HFNHL team can be over the cap in the off-season. Jeff is right, I was well over the cap, although the Kaberle and Bieksa deals were done before July 1st and the contracts kicked in. But I was at around 60M until this week.

Considering our cap hit is calculated by top OV players, not by who is on the roster, I'm not sure we need an off-season cap. Teams have to maneuver to get under the cap by the start of the season anyways, and don't have the option of simply stashing players in the minors or on LTIR. I always understood that to be the reason NHL teams can't run a huge cap surplus all summer.

But for the HFNHL, why does it matter whether teams get under the cap before July 1st, or before the start of the season.

 

[Chuzwazza]

Andrew Ladd (RW): 4 years @ 2.8M
> Ladd is unlikely to see an offer of a lot more than 3M a season given
> the compensation that goes along with it, so we think that this is about
> where he'll end up when his NHL contract is renewed. Should you choose
> to decline we offer your client a 1 year QO deal at 2M. well above his
> needed QO, and we can then let the NHL decide what his future wage will
> be when we come back to the table in 12 months.

Actually Hasnain, I was completely correct.....

That was the offer that was sent to you along with one for Ryan Bayda....I still have the e-mail if you'd like me to confirm.....to which you rejected both. Ironic given you then turned around and offered Ladd the examt same dollar amount in RFA dont you think? Before your bids were pulled out of course....

 

[HFNHL Commish]

Behave, boys.

 

[Hossa]

Behave, boys.

Ya, our else Blue Font Gledhill will get angry.

 

[Wildman]

Andrew Ladd (RW): 4 years @ 2.8M
> Ladd is unlikely to see an offer of a lot more than 3M a season given
> the compensation that goes along with it, so we think that this is about
> where he'll end up when his NHL contract is renewed. Should you choose
> to decline we offer your client a 1 year QO deal at 2M. well above his
> needed QO, and we can then let the NHL decide what his future wage will
> be when we come back to the table in 12 months.

Actually Hasnain, I was completely correct.....

That was the offer that was sent to you along with one for Ryan Bayda....I still have the e-mail if you'd like me to confirm.....to which you rejected both. Ironic given you then turned around and offered Ladd the examt same dollar amount in RFA dont you think? Before your bids were pulled out of course....

Please do send me a copy...if I rejected it than my apologies. I know I went through the whole inbox prior to July 1st, 2010 deadline. As for RFA offer I sent to Ladd, it was basically a calculated offer depending on my cap room and what Ladd is actually worth plus compensation. It had nothing to do with what you offered.

 

[The old geezer]

But for the HFNHL, why does it matter whether teams get under the cap before July 1st, or before the start of the season.

Personally I don't think it matters. It was just a question ... one that goes with why do we care if we're over the 80 roster size during FA as long as we're compliant by the start of the year. If the premise for the change of enforcing the max roster size during the off-season was to prevent teams from hoarding and then trading away guys wouldn't the same thought logically apply for the salary cap to some extent?

Anyway that might just stir the pot. This particular subject is closed IMO given the responses and so I see no need to have this debate run on further.

It's purely in Josh's court as to whether he wants to match and address the salary cap implications by moving more core players or take the compensation instead.

Being the good people we are I'm sure there will be a few offers to 'help' Buffalo get back under the cap.

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

Given I offered Ladd 4 years at 2.8M before FA got here, and then again in FA after being turned down so he could see what the market was worth, I'm actually surprised he accepted your offer Drew. There aren't many players who are playing significant minutes on a team thats been to the conference finals 3 times in the last 4 years and the cup finals twice that turn down the only team they've ever played for to take 200K more tand subsequently pack up their life and move to a worse team. Obviously this is the HFNHL and not the NHL, but if someone in another city offered you a similar job but not quite as good, for a 7% raise in salary, would you really turn your life upside down for that?

As for the cap...I thought we had to be under the cap on a 3 point average for the whole season? not for opening day or at any other single point. Large numbers of GM's keep space early to go over at the deadline for playoff runs, so why should this situation be treated any differently just because its the other way around?

As the rules are now, no issue going over the cap for the time being from what I understand. In particular given most teams don't even know which 21 players will count on their cap hit.

As to Ladd signing this deal, clearly it makes perfect sense.

First off, he hasn't chosen to leave, he has simply given Buffalo the opportunity to keep him at his relative market value. If the Sabres don't think he is worth a 2nd round pick, then best he leave, I say. The fact Buffalo never offered this much is a clear indication his agents have done a great job in holding out until now, in particular given there was a chance one of the half dozen interested teams might have gone about the 2nd rounder level and gone higher. The agents would have done a bad job had the best RFA offer been worse than the Sabres best offer, which it wasn't obviously. This would have put all negotating leverage back with the Sabres, had this happened. It didn't.

Furthermore, Ladd actually now controls where he plays. He either stays a Sabre, or goes to Detroit, whose franchise has been essentially just as successful as the Sabres over the years, albeit without the Cup title.

Had he signed with Buffalo previously, Sabres management could have traded him anywhere, and it likely wouldn't have been as good a destination as the Wings. Now Ladd earns more and controls where he plays in one of two cities.

Obviously this puts the Sabres in a pickle if they want to keep him, but such was the risk of offering up an insulting first offer, and then not going as high as $3M with a best offer. A lesson there, to be sure.

But hey, I've had the same happen to me with Byfuglien and Kobasew, so you're not alone in getting hit like this. Such is the risk of letting players go RFA. That said, there are several remaining RFA's whose leverage has disappeared and are now likely seriously looking at signing a QO or hopefully so slightly better offer that might come in from their team. It's a risk of course, but it's the one avenue have to negotiate a cheap short-term deal with a solid NHL player (save auto-sign).

 

[MatthewFlames]

Jeff and Matt - Many thanks and kudos on a fast efficient FA period. I know i gave some grief navigating the new processes and limits but in the end everything ran so well.

All thanks should go to Jeff. He did an amazing job.

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

All thanks should go to Jeff. He did an amazing job.

Indeed, perhaps the best year yet. Great job, Jeff.

 

[Dryden]

Thanks for the hard work Jeff.

Glad I don't have to thank Matt K this time. His head gotten so big it's out grown his hair.