Question about free agents

[mrs9x]

As soon as the ink is dry on a new CBA, is free agency open? In addition, as the lockout winds down but still in effect, can teams talk either formally or informally with FAs to sign after the CBA is signed?

I'm curious because something like 70% of players are unsigned, and there is going to be a mad rush to sign players ASAP as soon as an agreement is announced. I'm also wondering if teams have already made "informal arrangements" with players to sign them as soon as free agency begins.

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[Jester]

As soon as the ink is dry on a new CBA, is free agency open? In addition, as the lockout winds down but still in effect, can teams talk either formally or informally with FAs to sign after the CBA is signed?

I'm curious because something like 70% of players are unsigned, and there is going to be a mad rush to sign players ASAP as soon as an agreement is announced. I'm also wondering if teams have already made "informal arrangements" with players to sign them as soon as free agency begins.

yes, it will be insane.

i'm sure there have been some side discussions between GM's and Agents. however, i would be slightly shocked if any hard deals have been negotiated given that no one knows what the final deal will be...

 

[mrs9x]

So free agency starts the minute the CBA is signed? I'd imagine that there have been talks between GMs and agents about deals in principle.

 

[WC Handy*]

Free agency won't start as soon as the deal is signed. There must be a reasonable amount of time for RFA's to be qualified and to hold the draft. My guess is 2 weeks after the deal is signed free agency will begin.

 

[LordHelmet]

Free agency won't start as soon as the deal is signed. There must be a reasonable amount of time for RFA's to be qualified and to hold the draft. My guess is 2 weeks after the deal is signed free agency will begin.

I can also see GM's wanting to have some sort of evaluation camp for unsigned players - UFA's and RFA's.. Some guys have been keeping in shape and playing regularly. Others have been working hard at holding their couches to the floor.

If you get enough players volunteering to come to the camp, you could hold exhibition games & broadcast them over the web. Offer free tickets to past season ticket holders as a way to celebrate the conclusion of the lockout & promote ticket sales & interest in the upcoming season. You'd have to come up with a way to fill up some rosters, but that wouldn't be too hard. Heck, do it beer-league style. Have each team pick a captain and have the captains draft their team from a list of all the volunteers.

Anyway, the point is that GM's will surely want to see where a guy is at physically, mentally, and skill-wise before making him an offer.

No matter what, this is going to be a FUN offseason. Plenty of hockey talk..

 

[SENSible1*]

The smart teams will qualify their RFA's and then sit back as the agents and players come to grips with the massive negative salary adjustment.

I'm sure some foolish teams will run off and sign some inflated contracts, but the patient ones will win the day.

 

[Jester]

Free agency won't start as soon as the deal is signed. There must be a reasonable amount of time for RFA's to be qualified and to hold the draft. My guess is 2 weeks after the deal is signed free agency will begin.

players who have been UFA's throughout the lockout will probably be capable of signing immediately...

 

[Brodeur]

So free agency starts the minute the CBA is signed? I'd imagine that there have been talks between GMs and agents about deals in principle.

July 1st was the magic start date of the NHL year in the previous CBA. So if they reach an agreement around June 15th like most are anticipating, that'd give teams a couple weeks to examine the CBA and make decisions regarding their own UFAs and RFAs.

If the CBA is reached after July 1st.........who knows, I would hope they would have the sense to create a one time buffer to give teams some time to figure things out. But as the others have said, this'll probably be a very chaotic offseason.

After St. Louis got penalized a first round pick for prematurely signing Scott Stevens, I would think most teams would be careful about talking to agents of players they didn't have the rights to.

 

[Mess]

As soon as the ink is dry on a new CBA, is free agency open? In addition, as the lockout winds down but still in effect, can teams talk either formally or informally with FAs to sign after the CBA is signed?

I'm curious because something like 70% of players are unsigned, and there is going to be a mad rush to sign players ASAP as soon as an agreement is announced. I'm also wondering if teams have already made "informal arrangements" with players to sign them as soon as free agency begins.

That all depends on the million dollar question at hand " If 2004-05 contracts will be honoured"

However unless the new CBA changes the date of UFA from July 1st ..then July 1st is the date .. IMO

In fact as soon as the CBA is signed the lockout ends and its UFA season ,for the players were UFA going into the lockout ..

How fast teams rush in is another thing .. No one is forcing them to sign someone until they are ready but if a few teams are interested in a Kovalev or Kariya then you may see some early action and bidding ..

Dumb GM's (and there are no shortage of them) will rush in, where good planning and sitting back and watching would be the better option IMO ..

 

[SENSible1*]

Dumb GM's (and there are no shortage of them) will rush in, where good planning and sitting back and watching would be the better option IMO ..

My god, Massager and I are in 100% agreement on something.

 

[NYR469]

it depends on when the cba is signed. if they sign the CBA tomorrow then free agency will open july 1st like normal. if they sign the cba august 1st then free agency will start right away.

 

[p.l.f.]

glen murray probably feels he's missed out on something i'm sure