The following players are currently restricted free agents. The team that holds the player’s signing rights, as well as each player’s age as of the date of free agency opening, is in parentheses.
Those who play multiple positions are listed by their primary position played in 2023-24. Only those with previous NHL experience are listed. Players are not eligible for salary arbitration unless otherwise indicated.
Updated 9/24/24, 8:12 a.m.
^ – indicates 10.2(c) free agent, ineligible to sign or receive offer sheets
Centers
Nikita Alexandrov (Blues, 23)
Left Wingers
none
Right Wingers
none
Left Defensemen
none
Right Defensemen
none
Goaltenders
Jeremy Swayman (Bruins, 25)
And no GMs with the cajones to pull up an offer sheet – ridiculous
Jarvis and Swayman are probably the one two worth the offer sheet, no?
Harley is really good also.
and Harley
I don’t know Raymond and Seider are both studs on Detroit
So if a teams signs one of these players to an offer sheet, is there compensation to the losing team (assuming they don’t match). Also, can’t teams do a sign and trade? I don’t think a team would out right trade a pick for a player that won’t sign. Last question, what if they don’t sign at all?
1. Yes, there is compensation. Depending on the size of the contract signed, the losing team gets a specific package of draft picks.
2. Someone more knowledgeable can go into the details on sign and trade scenarios, as I’m not sure what’s allowed.
3. If an RFA doesn’t sign by a certain date during the season (I forget the exact date), he is ineligible to play in the NHL for the rest of the season. Usually players in this situation play out the season in Europe.
Thank you for the response. To add further, does the draft compensation come
from the signing team or do they just get the picks at the end of the draft round like baseball and football?
You would think sign and trades would be better for teams since they can determine their draft package.
If they don’t sign and play in Europe, are they still under team control when they finish out the season/year?
Random comment guy part of the consideration for offer sheets to RFAs and how teams act have nothing to do with the rules or compensation. An unwritten rule in the league has developed over not giving offer sheets to other teams players. The famous recent example is the Canadiens giving an offer sheet to Aho and then the Hurricanes being so upset about it that they gave an offer sheet to Kotkaniemi two years later. That drives what teams do much more than creative ideas over trades and taking compensation.
Compensation comes from the signing team, and furthermore it has to consist of the team’s own draft picks. Often, teams are simply unable to proffer offer sheets because they have already traded the specific picks that would be needed for the compensation.
If he doesn’t sign by Dec 31st, can’t play rest of year
There are several players that would definitely be worthy of an offer sheet such as Jeremy Swayman, Lucas Raymond, Seth Jarvis, Dawson Mercer, Moritz Seider, Cole Perfetti, & Matt Beniers. Those are truly potential worthy players IMO for various reasons.
Unfortunately teams don’t do offer sheets because of what they may have to give up in draft picks.
Lucas Raymond and Mo Seider are both staying in Detroit. Both will sign for more than $8 million a year. The only holdup is Steve Yzerman doesn’t like to offer “term” to anyone. He prefers to sign guys to no more than 5 years incase the player regresses and the team is stuck paying a ton at the back end. I don’t see that happening with them. Both want 8 years. I’m sure many of the others will get the same especially how money was flying around in free agency for less talent.
No, Y gave Larkin 8 yrs.
Thinking both are asking near $9M X 8
Then there is the “Matthew’s term” of only going for 5 years and then cashing in on another big payday!
Maybe Raymond at 5x $7.5 M and Seider at 5 x $8M
After Broberg’s playoffs, the Oilers cap mess & low cost if your contract is below $4m per, I’d think a competing GM would throw the new rival a fastball chin-high. I think the compensation would be a single 2nd round plus a third.