Free Agent signings thus far

[Tampa GM]

Will anyone get such money as Hossa, Jagr and Zetterberg got last year?

After seeing what your team did last season with signing of Hossa and Boucher, I am sure there are lot of GM (including myself) out there willing to pay top dollars to acquire talent.[/QUOTE]

Actually Boucher didnt play a single game for Tampa Bay. He was traded to Colorado in a trade where I got all-star defenseman Joe Corvo in return.

 

[Ohio Jones]

I bet you the only winner is going to be that Reggie guy...salaries going up but is revenue?

Not this year.

My understanding is that one "tick" in the FHL revenue slider represents roughly a 25% increase in revenues. Our cap has only gone up 10%, so that seems like an excessive increase, and there doesn't seem to be an in-between mark.

If, however, the HFNHL cap follows the NHL lead and goes to $50 million for 2008-09, that would seem to be an appropriate time to trigger the increase on the revenue side.

Thoughts?

 

[Wildman]

I agree with you, if NHL is raising the salarycap than we need to follow suit because Reggie has a tendency to compare NHL salary during negotiation and it woudn't be fair for HFNHL team paying NHL salary and make way less money.

Also, we may want to look at the floor as well. I believe it is around $30M which I am sure every team should be able to afford.

 

[Fan.At]

I agree with you, if NHL is raising the salarycap than we need to follow suit because Reggie has a tendency to compare NHL salary during negotiation and it woudn't be fair for HFNHL team paying NHL salary and make way less money.

Also, we may want to look at the floor as well. I believe it is around $30M which I am sure every team should be able to afford.

there is a minimum OV rule in place, why have a salary floor? not looking to add like 10 million just for the sake of being above the salary floor...

 

[SPG]

there is a minimum OV rule in place, why have a salary floor? not looking to add like 10 million just for the sake of being above the salary floor...

I agree with you. The minimum OV rating rule takes place of the cap floor rule.

 

[Toronto_AGM_Adil]

I agree with you. The minimum OV rating rule takes place of the cap floor rule.

Maybe we should get rid of the minimum OV rule and go with a minimum salary rule? The closer we stick to the NHL economics the easier agent signings will be in the future. If we ignore the NHL financials then we risk our UFA signings getting out of sink with the NHL... It's not realistic for an HFNHL franchise to have a 20M dollar pay roll when the NHL has a minimum over 30M, this puts player financials out of wack.

The NHL incresed these numbers in order to reflect profitability between owners and players, however we don't follow this number for HFNHL profit. I believe we should try and match the NHL profitiblity numbers as much as possible as well, whereby HFNHL teams take in the same amount of money as an NHL team does (minus profit taking by the owner). I believe the CBA requires 55% of profit going to player salary, if we can agree on a profit taking number (say 20%) then the average league revenue would be around 25% or about twice that of player pay-roll. Again this number is the average revenue for all teams. Profit sharing is also an option for evening this out further... I believe this will make the league much more competetive...

 

[Wildman]

Assuming that we go the same route as this season where each team gets $10M to offset increase in cap from $40M to $50M. A team with a payroll of less than $20M will benefit more than a team close to the cap regardless of the team performance on ice.

My suggestion is to either increase the revenue meter or pay each team based on their sucess during the season (i.e., $5M bonus for making the playoffs).

I know this suggestion will go against my team because I was third last last season but I believe we need to decide this issue before free agency period.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Assuming that we go the same route as this season where each team gets $10M to offset increase in cap from $40M to $50M. A team with a payroll of less than $20M will benefit more than a team close to the cap regardless of the team performance on ice.

My suggestion is to either increase the revenue meter or pay each team based on their sucess during the season (i.e., $5M bonus for making the playoffs).

I know this suggestion will go against my team because I was third last last season but I believe we need to decide this issue before free agency period.

THe HFNHL Cap for 2007-2008 is $44 million. Remember we're 1 year behind the NHL. There will NOT be a change in revenue for this season, so sign wisely!

 

[kasper11]

Maybe we should get rid of the minimum OV rule and go with a minimum salary rule? The closer we stick to the NHL economics the easier agent signings will be in the future. If we ignore the NHL financials then we risk our UFA signings getting out of sink with the NHL... It's not realistic for an HFNHL franchise to have a 20M dollar pay roll when the NHL has a minimum over 30M, this puts player financials out of wack.

The NHL incresed these numbers in order to reflect profitability between owners and players, however we don't follow this number for HFNHL profit. I believe we should try and match the NHL profitiblity numbers as much as possible as well, whereby HFNHL teams take in the same amount of money as an NHL team does (minus profit taking by the owner). I believe the CBA requires 55% of profit going to player salary, if we can agree on a profit taking number (say 20%) then the average league revenue would be around 25% or about twice that of player pay-roll. Again this number is the average revenue for all teams. Profit sharing is also an option for evening this out further... I believe this will make the league much more competetive...

I think we need both. The OV rule prevents people from tanking, a salary floor won't do that. Meanwhile, the salary rule ensures that teams can't hoard money during a rebuilding time (like I was able to do before the rules changes )

 

[Ohio Jones]

Maybe we should get rid of the minimum OV rule and go with a minimum salary rule? The closer we stick to the NHL economics the easier agent signings will be in the future. If we ignore the NHL financials then we risk our UFA signings getting out of sink with the NHL... It's not realistic for an HFNHL franchise to have a 20M dollar pay roll when the NHL has a minimum over 30M, this puts player financials out of wack.

The NHL doesn't have absolutes like player ratings to use as a means of ensuring competitivenessand parity. We do. The last thing we want is more inflation, and teams trying to meet a minimum salary level will create just that as teams throw big one-year deals at garbage players just to make the minimum.

The important point is whether those teams are competitive, and we've determined that a 70 OV floor is achieveable and reasonable. This way, at least teams are throwing money at players who might actually contribute to their performance!

 

[HFNHL Red Wings]

Maybe we should get rid of the minimum OV rule and go with a minimum salary rule? The closer we stick to the NHL economics the easier agent signings will be in the future. If we ignore the NHL financials then we risk our UFA signings getting out of sink with the NHL... It's not realistic for an HFNHL franchise to have a 20M dollar pay roll when the NHL has a minimum over 30M, this puts player financials out of wack.

Well to chime in with a quick quick points ...

(i) Despite the grief we get over the minimum OV rule I do think it is better than a minimum salary. I'd prefer to see a $20M 70OV team than a $35M 71OV team any day.

(ii) Just b/c the NHL's cap and salaries have gone up doesn't mean ours has to.
We have not changed the max player salary in the HFNHL ($7.5M?) so there won't be any $10M contracts in the HFNHL this year. Also how far salaries escalate in the HFNHL depends on how many GM's go crazy on our own free agency. Straka could be a $3.5M guy or he could be a $7.5M guy.
Reggie likes to point to what HFNHL GM's will pay if a guy hits the market so don't go giving him any ammunition

(iii) As was already pointed out our cap is one year behind so it's only $44M for the coming season.

(iv) Hopefully this increase to $50M in the NHL is the last big bump we'll see but I guess that all depends on the Canadian dollar. When the lockout happened it was trading at 72 or 73 cents on the US dollar and now it's what 94 cents. Given a disproportionate amount of NHL revenues come from Canada the NHL's cap will for the foreseeable future fluctuate with the exchange rate.
As Doug MacClean said it's like free money for the NHL and it's players.

 

[SPG]

(ii) Just b/c the NHL's cap and salaries have gone up doesn't mean ours has to.
We have not changed the max player salary in the HFNHL ($7.5M?) so there won't be any $10M contracts in the HFNHL this year. Also how far salaries escalate in the HFNHL depends on how many GM's go crazy on our own free agency. Straka could be a $3.5M guy or he could be a $7.5M guy.
Reggie likes to point to what HFNHL GM's will pay if a guy hits the market so don't go giving him any ammunition

Maximum salary is $8M.

 

[Tampa GM]

Maximum salary is $8M.

Hello 8M$! That was Bryan McCabe and Martin St Louis agent talking..

 

[MatthewFlames]

Hello 8M$! That was Bryan McCabe and Martin St Louis agent talking..

LOL. If someone really wants to offer 8 million for a player, I suggest they talk to me first.

 

[Tampa GM]

LOL. If someone really wants to offer 8 million for a player, I suggest they talk to me first.

Thanx but not thanx. I dont need any more rwers..

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

Updated for last offers. Many pending RFA's will still potentially accept their QO, but only after (or during) free agency.

Details on FA submissions to come in the next few days.

 

[kasper11]

Nick ----
did you reply to the QOs, I never got one? I don't really need to hear back, just want to make sure you got them.

 

[Wildman]

Nick ----
did you reply to the QOs, I never got one? I don't really need to hear back, just want to make sure you got them.

Nick? who is Nick, I thought the player agent was Reggie. Reggie, do prefer to be called Nick? If I call you Nick, would I get a deal like Rich got on Jason Blake last season.

 

[Default101]

unfortunately Phoenix does not own the rights to Aebisher and McCormick.

 

[kasper11]

Nick? who is Nick, I thought the player agent was Reggie. Reggie, do prefer to be called Nick? If I call you Nick, would I get a deal like Rich got on Jason Blake last season.

Hey, Blake may be my biggest success in this league.....I first signed him to a long-term deal as a UFA in 2002 when he was coming off of an 18 point season. That year he scored 20+ for the first time. Then last year I signed him to a long term extension in the very beginning of the year, before he scored 27 goals and this season's 40.

 

[Wildman]

Hey, Blake may be my biggest success in this league.....I first signed him to a long-term deal as a UFA in 2002 when he was coming off of an 18 point season. That year he scored 20+ for the first time. Then last year I signed him to a long term extension in the very beginning of the year, before he scored 27 goals and this season's 40.

I wonder who the agent was? was it Reggie or Nick. Just kidding, I know you signed him before the huge sucess. I hope he repeats that playing along the line with Sundin.

 

[Andrew Chang-Sang]

Correction to UFA/RFA lists

Not to be too anal but Tyler Arnasson (signed by Washington) was an RFA signing not a UFA signing as listed.

 

[Dr.Sens(e)]

Andrew is correct re Arnason.

And Reggie does look back at the timing of that Blake offer (right at the beginning of last season) and regret the advice he gave his client, who to that point, was a decent energy-type third liner.

Of note, not all QO were responded to (the ones not accepted yet anyway).

 

[Ohio Jones]

Of note, defenceman Andy Wozniewski's RFA qualifying offer was rescinded due to an error in submission. He is now an Unrestricted Free Agent.

 

[SensGod]

Hello 8M$! That was Bryan McCabe and Martin St Louis agent talking..

Both played in the Finals for the Dallas Stars this year...I won't be going back this year I think...