News: Is this the most RFAs, 2 weeks before Training Camp?

[Jaffray15]

Still 11 RFAs(After Comrie signing today) and half being substantial players.

Thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[caley]

It does feel like a lot, doesn’t it?! Some are weird, like if you were Michael McCarron, Matt Puempel or even Jordan Schwartz, what exactly are you holding out for?!

 

[MMC]

It does feel like a lot, doesn’t it?! Some are weird, like if you were Michael McCarron, Matt Puempel or even Jordan Schwartz, what exactly are you holding out for?!

Probably a 1 vs 2 way deal negotiation

 

[Tavares to Marner]

Just shows the trajectory of the way the league is going

These young guys coming out of ELCs right away on 10 mill contracts is how we end up with lockouts (im excluding generational players such as McDavid, Crosby and Ovechkin)

Call me a dinosaur but i think theres too much stock being put into potential and that includes these boards.

The idea that were paying you today for what you did yesterday and up to today has been replaced with lets pay you today for what you MIGHT be able to do tomorrow

Bridge contracts lately have been going out the window thus making these contracts way longer to get signed

 

[Brodeur]

Seems standard, maybe I'm used to it from the 90s/early 00s when guys would sit out until November sometimes during holdouts. Last year for reference:

Sep 1: Alex Wennberg
Sep 3: Anthony Duclair
Sep 5: Tyler Wotherspoon
Sep 5: Robbie Russo
Sep 6: Sam Bennett
Sep 8: Bo Horvat
Sep 11: Petteri Lindbohm
Sep 11: Damon Severson
Sep 14: David Pastrnak
Sep 15: Nikita Zadorov

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Just shows the trajectory of the way the league is going

These young guys coming out of ELCs right away on 10 mill contracts is how we end up with lockouts (im excluding generational players such as McDavid, Crosby and Ovechkin)

Call me a dinosaur but i think theres too much stock being put into potential and that includes these boards.

The idea that were paying you today for what you did yesterday and up to today has been replaced with lets pay you today for what you MIGHT be able to do tomorrow

Bridge contracts lately have been going out the window thus making these contracts way longer to get signed

Rather pay $10M for Eichel throughout his entire prime than $8M for him throughout the first half of his prime and $15M for the second half and 4 more seasons where he’s past it. GMs are being smart with the way that they are doing it.

 

[FalcorMulch]

These young guys coming out of ELCs right away on 10 mill contracts is how we end up with lockouts (im excluding generational players such as McDavid, Crosby and Ovechkin)

There's exactly one player in the league, not including your "excluded" list, that is making $10 million out of his ELC.

Eichel is a bit of an outlier but contracts haven't really changed relative to the cap. The cap has gone up and salaries have gone up with it. It's as simple as that. But honestly, young players are worth their salary more now than ever. The league is getting younger, players are being asked to essentially lead teams in their second or third years.

I also don't see how annual salaries are going to lead to a lockout. The cap is the cap, how they allocate it among players doesn't change how much money is being spent. If anything the big issue for the next CBA is going to be contract length.

 

[caley]

Probably a 1 vs 2 way deal negotiation

But really, who among those three I listed could expect a one-way deal? Schmaltz is the closest to an NHL regular but he really hasn’t done enough to be a 1-way deal.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

FWIW Marek Langhammer is playing in the Czech league this year so it's really only 10 RFAs.

But really, who among those three I listed could expect a one-way deal? Schmaltz is the closest to an NHL regular but he really hasn’t done enough to be a 1-way deal.

It also could be players holding out for bigger AHL salaries on their two-way deals. Comrie is getting 175k in the AHL this year compared to just 70k last year. If he wasn't being offered 175k to start with then it made sense for him to wait until September to sign to get it.

For guys who are likely to spend most of the season in the AHL the difference of 50k or 100k is a lot.

 

[Brodeur]

Just playing Devil's Advocate, if I were their agents I'd be angling for:

A) 1 year, 1 way deal
B) 2 year deal where the 2nd year is 1 way
C) 1 year, 2 way deal but with a decent raise for playing in the AHL (ie, somebody like Eric Gryba is getting 300K if he gets sent down)

There's not a ton of difference between signing in early August or early September, so no real harm in waiting to see if the team will budge.

 

[inthe6ix]

Would like to see more bridges, but the current state of affairs is what it is.

Everyone is making more, so why shouldn't the players...?

 

[rumrokh]

Just shows the trajectory of the way the league is going

These young guys coming out of ELCs right away on 10 mill contracts is how we end up with lockouts (im excluding generational players such as McDavid, Crosby and Ovechkin)

Call me a dinosaur but i think theres too much stock being put into potential and that includes these boards.

The idea that were paying you today for what you did yesterday and up to today has been replaced with lets pay you today for what you MIGHT be able to do tomorrow

Bridge contracts lately have been going out the window thus making these contracts way longer to get signed

Yet the worst contracts in the game are consistently going to UFAs.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

There's exactly one player in the league, not including your "excluded" list, that is making $10 million out of his ELC.

Eichel is a bit of an outlier but contracts haven't really changed relative to the cap. The cap has gone up and salaries have gone up with it. It's as simple as that. But honestly, young players are worth their salary more now than ever. The league is getting younger, players are being asked to essentially lead teams in their second or third years.

I also don't see how annual salaries are going to lead to a lockout. The cap is the cap, how they allocate it among players doesn't change how much money is being spent. If anything the big issue for the next CBA is going to be contract length.

Inflation is a thing.

 

[simon IC]

It does feel like a lot, doesn’t it?! Some are weird, like if you were Michael McCarron, Matt Puempel or even Jordan Schwartz, what exactly are you holding out for?!

Uuummm ... do you mean Jordan Schmaltz?

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

As for Eichel, no Sabre fan is upset about paying him 10 mil per. Hes locked up his entire prime. If he ever does leave itll be when hes on the wrong side of 30. For a guy who Is essentially a ppg with no help he is going to go off this year now that he has a legit 30 goal scorer to play with in Skinner. I expect a career season from Skinner and Eichel.

 

[TLEH]

I mean.. American sports in general are notorious for f***ing over the early age years of a player, when he's at his best. I mean in baseball Tulowitzki got paid 40 million by the Rockies early in his career for 40 ish Wins Above Replacement. The Jays have paid him 60+ mil for 4 WAR over like 3 seasons during the back half of his career. It happens in hockey too. You should be paying a guy based on what he could do for you, not what he did do for you.

 

[A1LeafNation]

I’m expecting one to sign each day from now until next weekend..on average.

 

[cwede]

argh - 1 of my pet peeves, a topic that requires you to look elsewhere for the details behind it

here is the list of guys w key details

PLAYER	AGE	POS	Handed	NHL GP'17-18	CAP HIT'17-18
1. Jordan Schmaltz	24	D	Right	13	$925,000
2. Miles Wood	22	LW	Left	76	$925,000
3. William Nylander	22	RW, C	Right	82	$894,167
4. Sam Reinhart	22	RW, C	Right	82	$894,167
5. Nick Ritchie	22	LW	Left	76	$894,167
6. Darnell Nurse	23	D	Left	82	$863,333
7. Michael McCarron	23	RW, C	Right	18	$863,333
8. Shea Theodore	23	D	Left	61	$863,333
9. Joshua Morrissey	23	D	Left	81	$863,333
10. Matt Puempel	25	LW	Left	0	$725,000
11. Marek Langhamer	24	G	Left	1	$660,000

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

... carry on ...

 

[Flukeshot]

Seven pretty meaningful guys. I think it is a mix of some good news being there and media/internet attention to the topic.

 

[Agalloch]

I find it alot.

It's all about long term vs bridge.

For the 3 minor players, it's about larger pay in the AHL.

 

[Someone]

Just shows the trajectory of the way the league is going

These young guys coming out of ELCs right away on 10 mill contracts is how we end up with lockouts (im excluding generational players such as McDavid, Crosby and Ovechkin)

Call me a dinosaur but i think theres too much stock being put into potential and that includes these boards.

The idea that were paying you today for what you did yesterday and up to today has been replaced with lets pay you today for what you MIGHT be able to do tomorrow

Bridge contracts lately have been going out the window thus making these contracts way longer to get signed

Thing is, signing a young guy to an 8 year deal for "market value" is how you end uo with contracts like Hall, Schiefele, MacKinnon. Paying vets for what they've done is how you end up with Lucic etc. Contracts. Certainly the gambles don't always work, but locking up young core players is pretty important.

 

[Curufinwe]

I also don't see how annual salaries are going to lead to a lockout. The cap is the cap, how they allocate it among players doesn't change how much money is being spent. If anything the big issue for the next CBA is going to be contract length.

This is accurate.

 

[Tavares to Marner]

Rather pay $10M for Eichel throughout his entire prime than $8M for him throughout the first half of his prime and $15M for the second half and 4 more seasons where he’s past it. GMs are being smart with the way that they are doing it.

Drai isn't worth 10 mill

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Drai isn't worth 10 mill

I wasn’t talking about Draisaitl...

 

[HanSolo]

I have to wonder how much Bob Murray influenced the other GMs when he let Anaheim's season start without giving Rakell and Lindholm new contracts and ended up getting both on really good deals.