The Most Predatory Offer Sheet [Article]

[wildandwoolly]

There's one massive flaw in this idea - Jack would have to sign it. Which he wouldn't. Why? Because it's only 4 years. He'll use this offer as fuel to get a Price like contract (buy-out proof, etc).

 

[JMecc]

The flaw is that if they don't match you just paid top dollar plus four firsts for only four years of Eichel and then he walks.

 

[JuniorNelson]

To do this just to eff up another team's roster is career suicide. Can you imagine pulling this stunt and then show up at the next GMs week long conference? You'd end up sitting at a table in a corner all by yourself.

Great imagery!

A rival GM could utterly eviscerate the Canucks by scooping Horvat. I don't think anybody would be angry with him. Canucks have left Horvat unsigned. Big centers dripping with compete don't usually get left laying around. It would be kind of a rescue mission.

 

[wildandwoolly]

The flaw is that if they don't match you just paid top dollar plus four firsts for only four years of Eichel and then he walks.

Realistically - everyone would match. I don't see Eichel signing that tho. Why sign a $48m contract when you could sign a $100m+ of your preference.

The moment he receives a deal like this, the Pegulas call him up and let him know he can have whatever he wants.

I mean just imagine McDavid got a 4/48 offer sheet. I think he'd laugh at it. It would completely surrender all of his negotiating rights.

 

[Lempo]

There's one massive flaw in this idea - Jack would have to sign it. Which he wouldn't. Why? Because it's only 4 years. He'll use this offer as fuel to get a Price like contract (buy-out proof, etc).

Him being an UFA at the expiry would have quite good upside for that end, though. There would probably be a bidding contest.

 

[varano]

This is how we get lockouts.

One of the top three players in the league getting paid less than league maximum is why we have lockouts??

Yikes the salt from sabres fans over mcdavid is real.

 

[Evergreen]

It shouldn't, because no one else has a McDavid. Not even the Leafs with Matthews.

Teams can still do bridge deals if they want. Nothing says they can't. In fact, I bet a few of the young guys you expect to follow McDavids lead, will get bridge deals. And here is why:

McDavid set the bar. No one is going over that unless they prove they are better....which seems unlikely at this point.
If you think Matthews is going to get 11 million next summer because of what McDavid signed, that isn't likely to change much in 2 years later due to a bridge deal.

In fact, if I was the Leafs, I would sit down with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander, and tell them ALL, that they are only going to get 2 year bridge deals. Tell them that the reason is cap space and the window to win. By having them all on bridge deals at a lesser amount, it increases the chance to win a Cup. Now I tell them that they are not going to be squeezed into crap contracts, but lesser ones....in the 5-7 million mark. That also keeps them as Maple Leafs longer as well.....none become UFA's at age 29...but rather when they are in their 30's.

So now the Leafs window to win before the big 3 get big deals, is open longer due to them getting bridge deals.

And then the players realize that they'd rather not risk losing tens d millions of dollars if they get injured or have a decline in their play.

 

[MoreMogilny]

Just don't offersheet anyone on the Flames

The story goes back to Burke’s days as GM of the Anaheim Ducks when Lowe gave an offer sheet to restricted free agent Dustin Penner. Burke didn’t match and the Ducks lost Penner. Burke was furious at Lowe. The two had a war of words in which Burke said Lowe challenged him to a fight in a radio interview.

“That’s not really how you challenge a guy to a fight,” Burke told The Score. “If you want to challenge a guy to a fight, you pick a place and time. So I called (Rangers GM) Glen Sather and said: ‘This guy went on radio to challenge me to a fight.’ I said, ‘I’m going to be in Lake Placid at the U.S. junior camp.’ I gave him three dates. I told him I would rent a barn.

https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2011/12/03/leafs_gm_brian_burke_wanted_to_rent_a_barn_to_fight_kevin_lowe.html

In all seriousness, this conversation does seem to come up every offseason. Almost never do we see it happen. While it is a business, GMs still need to have good relations with one another. That as well as needing to assess if it's worth it to invest the assets necessary, as well as the salary it would take to ensure the other team didn't match.

If you're a team in the position to offersheet someone like Eichel, then you're probably desperate for some young talent and perhaps not in a good position to compete for the next few years. It's awfully risky giving up what would need to be 4 first round picks. If Buffalo didn't match Vanek, it could have been a disaster for Edmonton who was completely bottoming out.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

The Bruins should do this with Eichel, but less $$. Bet he'd love playing for the Bruins so he'd sign it. Then Buffalo can match and be in trouble. 4 middle 1sts isn't the worst price in the world.

 

[King'sPawn]

If you show a history of trying to screw GMs instead of trying to build a legit team of your own, GMs will be less inclined to want to deal with you.

Which includes trades and offersheets.

 

[Not Sure]

The Bruins should do this with Eichel, but less $$. Bet he'd love playing for the Bruins so he'd sign it. Then Buffalo can match and be in trouble. 4 middle 1sts isn't the worst price in the world.

Bruins couldn't afford what it would cost to get Buffalo to take the picks. McDavid got big money because the Oilers bought UFA years. He got 12.5 AAV but really it's more like 4 RFA years at 9 million and 4 UFA years at 15 million. A 4 year deal for Eichel is only worth 8 to 9 million per. That's how these contracts work, RFA years are cheap, UFA years arent, so you do a long term deal and spread out the cap.

 

[Evilsports]

Offer sheets are inflationary by nature, as was pointed out by Oilers GM Chiarelli. Owners and shareholders are not going to endorse moves by a manager that will simply result in a business environment with decreased profit margins.

 

[Hire Sather]

Lots of talk about offer sheets recently and it really concerns me.

The day offer sheets become common place will hurt this league big time.

 

[Evilsports]

Offer sheets are inflationary by nature, as was pointed out by Oilers GM Chiarelli. Owners and shareholders are not going to endorse moves by a manager that will simply result in a business environment with decreased profit margins.

*Caveat* For teams that spend to the cap every year the inflationary aspect of an offer sheet isn't necessarily a reduce profit margin. In these cases it would be more of a case of cap dollars losing purchasing power.

 

[LeafFever]

It's wasted effort talking about offer sheets. There's collusion in the NHL. It almost never happens. And when it does, that GM is crucified by everyone despite doing a 100% legal move which is in the rulebook.

 

[Seanaconda]

Then the team doesn't match and you're stuck with the dumb contract and no picks

 

[Evilsports]

It's wasted effort talking about offer sheets. There's collusion in the NHL. It almost never happens. And when it does, that GM is crucified by everyone despite doing a 100% legal move which is in the rulebook.

It doesn't take much effort at all to discuss something, I promise. To call the fact that most NHL clubs find the inflationary and predatory nature of an offer sheet to be counterproductive "collusion" is a bit of hyperbole. If something simply doesn't make sound business sense and this is recognized across the board by most business owners, it's simply good business.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

There was no retaliation against Edmonton after offer-sheeting Vanek. Will GM's be sore? Sure. But they also know that if they hold grudges, it can only hurt their team.

the argument that there will be revenge, blackballing that GM for putting an offer sheet out is laughable. the reaction on this board and on other internet sites make it look like its illegal or something

 

[LeafFever]

It doesn't take much effort at all to discuss something, I promise. To call the fact that most NHL clubs find the inflationary and predatory nature of an offer sheet to be counterproductive "collusion" is a bit of hyperbole. If something simply doesn't make sound business sense and this is recognized across the board by most business owners, it's simply good business.

I have an issue with something that was agreed upon by owners, and then when aGM does something that's not against the rules people just crap all over that GM like he did something shocking thing.

Don't have offer sheets if that's going to happen.

 

[Evilsports]

If people want to see more offer sheets they should focus their energy on making the practice more palatable to the clubs. Anybody blaming the GM's or owners for not using this tool more often under the current parameters is barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Seanaconda]

If people want to see more offer sheets they should focus their energy on making the practice more palatable to the clubs. Anybody blaming the GM's or owners for not using this tool more often under the current parameters is barking up the wrong tree.

Yeah it's easier to just trade for what you want instead of over paying a guy and losing all your picks

 

[Evilsports]

the argument that there will be revenge, blackballing that GM for putting an offer sheet out is laughable. the reaction on this board and on other internet sites make it look like its illegal or something

Exactly! Why would any smart business person do something that would inflate the cost of an industry's operating assets?

Team A makes an exorbitant offer for Team B's player and only one outcome is guaranteed, the exorbitant price paid for the player will be referenced for precedent in the contract negotiations of future players.

 

[wildandwoolly]

So the GM with the offer-sheet is gonna be shunned by all other GMs. And Eichel won't even sign it anyway. So that's why it's a total wasted effort and no one would ever do it.

Seems like a nice way to get fired tho

 

[glovesave_35]

Not really speaking to the "predatory offer sheet" but the lack of offer sheets in general in the NHL is crazy compared to other leagues.

 

[MessierII]

Well. That's one way to start a barn fight.

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