Saturday, August 6
JP asked me some questions about the salary cap in the NHL that I had no answers to tonight. I've been researching them, but got sidetracked because there's there something we haven't considered yet. I'm not sure how this would work in the new CBA, but I think restricted free agents could be had for minor money right now.
With RFAs, one team basically owns a player, because they can't be signed by another team without compensation (based on the salary of the player). Also, the team who owns the rights to the player in question has the right to match the salary of the team who wants to buy them. Right? Sorry if I'm going fast or not being completely clear here, but I'm excited and tipsy.
So here's the thing: What if a team that hasn't spent close to the cap (like the Rangers, JP) decides to go after a good but cheap RFA from a team that is already close to the cap max? The team close to the max either has to match the offer (risking going over the cap) or they let the RFA go.
Basically, GMs could look at any team that is close to the cap and offer a little bit more for their RFAs and the cap-skirting teams would be SOL. The teams that lost a player would be awarded compensatory picks for the deal, but it would be related to the salary that the player signed for. If you're a team that has lots of cap room right now, you would look for RFA bargains, and steal them from teams that couldn't match your offers.
With RFAs, one team basically owns a player, because they can't be signed by another team without compensation (based on the salary of the player). Also, the team who owns the rights to the player in question has the right to match the salary of the team who wants to buy them. Right? Sorry if I'm going fast or not being completely clear here, but I'm excited and tipsy.
So here's the thing: What if a team that hasn't spent close to the cap (like the Rangers, JP) decides to go after a good but cheap RFA from a team that is already close to the cap max? The team close to the max either has to match the offer (risking going over the cap) or they let the RFA go.
Basically, GMs could look at any team that is close to the cap and offer a little bit more for their RFAs and the cap-skirting teams would be SOL. The teams that lost a player would be awarded compensatory picks for the deal, but it would be related to the salary that the player signed for. If you're a team that has lots of cap room right now, you would look for RFA bargains, and steal them from teams that couldn't match your offers.
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