Speculation: Unusual amount of RFAs left?

[Number 57]

Am I crazy or is there quite a bit of high-quality RFAs left unsigned? With training camp right around the corner, and the World Cup already being started, it seems to me like there are a lot of contract disputes and potential headaches for teams:

Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen, Johnny Gaudreau, Nikita Kucherov, Dmitry Orlov and Jacob Trouba are all good to great young players who do not have a contract for the upcoming playing season, and they are all playing in the World Cup. Rakell just got injured and sent home. Are they all unsigned because teams want to see if they're healthy after the WC? Doesnt make much sense.

Valeri Nichushkin, Ryan Strome and Nikita Nesterov are all three unsigned as well. Nuke and Nesterov don't seem to have much leverage in my opinion, and should have been signed already at around $1M each for 1-2 seasons. I'm not sure what's the hold up. Strome could be worth a bit more, and whatever the dispute is it should have already been settled.

So what's holding all those contracts up?

Click to read more...

 

[hockeykicker]

world cup

 

[LondonKendrick]

Orlov is good?

 

[Maurice of Orange]

There are 14 unsigned Restricted Free Agents (RFA's)

1. D Dmitry Orlov Washington Team Russia
2. RW Valeri Nichushkin Dallas
3. LW Johnny Gaudreau Calgary Team North America
4. D Rasmus Ristolainen Buffalo Team Finland
5. C Rickard Rakell Anaheim Team Sweden < injured
6. D Hampus Lindholm Anaheim Team Sweden
7. D Jacob Trouba Winnipeg Team North America
8. C/RW Ryan Strome NY Islanders
9. LW/RW Tobias Rieder Arizona Team Europe
10. D/RW Nikita Nesterov Tampa Bay Team Russia
11. RW Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Team Russia
12. C Freddie Hamilton Calgary
13. D Stefan Elliott Nashville
14. D Ryan Sproul Detroit

 

[Meichel Kane]

Why hasn't Ryan Sproul signed yet!?

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Orlov is good?

....Yes?


Orlov is a very good Top 4 Dman. Not sure if you were joking or actually that far off?

 

[strictlyrandy]

Elliott SHOULD find a team, but I don't know if he will.

Freddie Hamilton isn't anything special, he may get an AHL team.

The rest..well, either I don't know enough about them or they're obvious signings that will happen.

 

[JZCislesHockey]

The Islanders are going to resign Strome.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Am I crazy or is there quite a bit of high-quality RFAs left unsigned? With training camp right around the corner, and the World Cup already being started, it seems to me like there are a lot of contract disputes and potential headaches for teams:

Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen, Johnny Gaudreau, Nikita Kucherov, Dmitry Orlov and Jacob Trouba are all good to great young players who do not have a contract for the upcoming playing season, and they are all playing in the World Cup. Rakell just got injured and sent home. Are they all unsigned because teams want to see if they're healthy after the WC? Doesnt make much sense.

Valeri Nichushkin, Ryan Strome and Nikita Nesterov are all three unsigned as well. Nuke and Nesterov don't seem to have much leverage in my opinion, and should have been signed already at around $1M each for 1-2 seasons. I'm not sure what's the hold up. Strome could be worth a bit more, and whatever the dispute is it should have already been settled.

So what's holding all those contracts up?

if they were UFAS then I could see the arguement-- but they are RFAs and many sign right before training camp

 

[airbus220]

There are 14 unsigned Restricted Free Agents (RFA's)

1. D Dmitry Orlov Washington Team Russia
2. RW Valeri Nichushkin Dallas
3. LW Johnny Gaudreau Calgary Team North America
4. D Rasmus Ristolainen Buffalo Team Finland
5. C Rickard Rakell Anaheim Team Sweden < injured
6. D Hampus Lindholm Anaheim Team Sweden
7. D Jacob Trouba Winnipeg Team North America
8. C/RW Ryan Strome NY Islanders
9. LW/RW Tobias Rieder Arizona Team Europe
10. D/RW Nikita Nesterov Tampa Bay Team Russia
11. RW Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Team Russia
12. C Freddie Hamilton Calgary
13. D Stefan Elliott Nashville
14. D Ryan Sproul Detroit

It's amazing that so many kids risk and injury on a worthless tournament unsigned.

 

[Johnny4778]

It's amazing that so many kids risk and injury on a worthless tournament unsigned.

RFA are insured by the NHL for the World Cup tournament.

 

[airbus220]

RFA are insured by the NHL for the World Cup tournament.

Thanks, the question is for how much they are insured.
For example Kucherov's last salary was less than 840k.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Why hasn't Ryan Sproul signed yet!?

Good question. I would've thought that he'd just take his qualifying offer on a 1 year deal and hope that he sticks with Detroit or gets claimed on waivers.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Is it really the world cup though? I get that teams might not want their player to get hurt but the odds of a long term injury hampering how good they are down the road is slim, and the odds of a year long injury is slim so they'll want them signed this year regardless. I think the impact of the world cup on it is pretty minor.

Not sure if it's the cap either, but the cap increase wasn't as much as it has been in the past.

I think it's probably mostly that bridge contracts aren't as common anymore and it's tougher to come to an agreement to a long term contract which leads to more disputes. 5 or 10 years ago some of these may have already been settled with bridge contracts.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

Is it really the world cup though? I get that teams might not want their player to get hurt but the odds of a long term injury hampering how good they are down the road is slim, and the odds of a year long injury is slim so they'll want them signed this year regardless. I think the impact of the world cup on it is pretty minor.

Not sure if it's the cap either, but the cap increase wasn't as much as it has been in the past.

I think it's probably mostly that bridge contracts aren't as common anymore and it's tougher to come to an agreement to a long term contract which leads to more disputes. 5 or 10 years ago some of these may have already been settled with bridge contracts.

Also a few teams are probably waiting on each other

Kucherov-Gaudreau, Lindholm-Rakell and Lindholm-Trouba-Ristolainen

 

[McHaNugYakEbNurDra]

Looking at the Flames cap space has me wondering.....could Gaudreau sign a 1 year deal and then next year, when the Flames have a ton of cap space coming free, sign a long term deal? I'm not sure this is idea for either side, but I think it has to be a solution both sides have considered if they can't agree on a long term amount?

(Side question: if they did this, how soon could he sign the extension?)

 

[Canada4Gold]

Looking at the Flames cap space has me wondering.....could Gaudreau sign a 1 year deal and then next year, when the Flames have a ton of cap space coming free, sign a long term deal? I'm not sure this is idea for either side, but I think it has to be a solution both sides have considered if they can't agree on a long term amount?

(Side question: if they did this, how soon could he sign the extension?)

Jan 1st, and there's likely too much risk involved for Gaudreau to sign a 1 year deal having to wait 3 months before he can re-up. He's gonna want his 8 years now.

 

[ffh]

Looking at the Flames cap space has me wondering.....could Gaudreau sign a 1 year deal and then next year, when the Flames have a ton of cap space coming free, sign a long term deal? I'm not sure this is idea for either side, but I think it has to be a solution both sides have considered if they can't agree on a long term amount?

(Side question: if they did this, how soon could he sign the extension?)

how does having more cap space next year change anything.

 

[McHaNugYakEbNurDra]

how does having more cap space next year change anything.

Currently they have 12 forwards, 7 defence, 2 goalies and ~$8.6 million in cap space. Assuming they want to start the season with 23 players under contract if they sign Gaudreau to an 8 years contract at an AAV of $7.3M per year (for example) they will have about 1.3M left to sign their last player or have a minor league player make the team (I assume they will want to leave some room for changes during the year as well).

If they sign him to a 1 year contract this year for 6 million, and then a 7 year contract next year for an AAV of $7.48M he will get the same amount over the 8 years but the cap hit this year will be easier for the Flames, and the cap hit next year will be as well.

 

[ffh]

Currently they have 12 forwards, 7 defence, 2 goalies and ~$8.6 million in cap space. Assuming they want to start the season with 23 players under contract if they sign Gaudreau to an 8 years contract at an AAV of $7.3M per year (for example) they will have about 1.3M left to sign their last player or have a minor league player make the team (I assume they will want to leave some room for changes during the year as well).

If they sign him to a 1 year contract this year for 6 million, and then a 7 year contract next year for an AAV of $7.48M he will get the same amount over the 8 years but the cap hit this year will be easier for the Flames, and the cap hit next year will be as well.

So just sign him to the numbers you just said over 8 years. Why do do you have to split it into 2 contracts

 

[Canada4Gold]

So just sign him to the numbers you just said over 8 years. Why do do you have to split it into 2 contracts

because the way he did it the cap hit is lower for the Flames this year when their cap is tight.

However that has 0 benefit to Gaudreau, so he's not just going to do them a favour taking on 3 months of risk just to get the same money in the long run. He's going to want what he's worth over 8 years right now.

 

[McHaNugYakEbNurDra]

So just sign him to the numbers you just said over 8 years. Why do do you have to split it into 2 contracts

To have a lower cap hit in 2016-2017 when they don't have the room to work with, and a higher hit in 2017+ when they do.

because the way he did it the cap hit is lower for the Flames this year when their cap is tight.

However that has 0 benefit to Gaudreau, so he's not just going to do them a favour taking on 3 months of risk just to get the same money in the long run. He's going to want what he's worth over 8 years right now.

Agreed, so I assume the Flames would have to sweeten it slightly, by increasing the amount for the last 7 years (to allow for the risk he takes by not having the long term commitment for the first three months of the season.

_______________________________________________________

Anyway, just a thought of how they could potentially make it work for both sides, not saying it is likely or anything

 

[Dustin]

Am I crazy or is there quite a bit of high-quality RFAs left unsigned? With training camp right around the corner, and the World Cup already being started, it seems to me like there are a lot of contract disputes and potential headaches for teams:

Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen, Johnny Gaudreau, Nikita Kucherov, Dmitry Orlov and Jacob Trouba are all good to great young players who do not have a contract for the upcoming playing season, and they are all playing in the World Cup. Rakell just got injured and sent home. Are they all unsigned because teams want to see if they're healthy after the WC? Doesnt make much sense.

Valeri Nichushkin, Ryan Strome and Nikita Nesterov are all three unsigned as well. Nuke and Nesterov don't seem to have much leverage in my opinion, and should have been signed already at around $1M each for 1-2 seasons. I'm not sure what's the hold up. Strome could be worth a bit more, and whatever the dispute is it should have already been settled.

So what's holding all those contracts up?

Does anyone know how many were unsigned at this time last year?

 

[ffh]

To have a lower cap hit in 2016-2017 when they don't have the room to work with, and a higher hit in 2017+ when they do.

I get you now but he wont do that. To much at stake.

 

[Canada4Gold]

To have a lower cap hit in 2016-2017 when they don't have the room to work with, and a higher hit in 2017+ when they do.



Agreed, so I assume the Flames would have to sweeten it slightly, by increasing the amount for the last 7 years (to allow for the risk he takes by not having the long term commitment for the first three months of the season.

_______________________________________________________

Anyway, just a thought of how they could potentially make it work for both sides, not saying it is likely or anything

They're not allowed to agree to a deal ahead of time to circumvent the Jan 1st extension rule. That's the entire point of that rule in thbe first place. And you can sure as hell believe even if they could then Calgary would back out of it if Gaudreau got hurt or even regressed, they'd say hey you're not worth that, and any arbitrator would agree with him and he wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

There's no such thing as 1 year deal with a verbal agreement to an extension. It would be a 1 year deal with Gaudreau gambling he performs good enough to get more money in the long run by proving himself for 1 more year, and with how good he is right now that's not a risk any sane person should take.