And why do you have the right to match an offer sheet? Is it maybe because you have the rights to the player?
It's simple. It's not PLD who decides he's no longer a Winnipeg Jet. It's the Winnipeg Jets that decide he's no longer a Winnipeg Jet.
I think your info or context is more fake.
Qualifying RFA's holds the rights. Offer sheets can happen but it's deeper than that. You either go to arbitration where dates are set for deadlines or you sign before the arbitration date cause there is a mutual agreement. If no mutual agreement, the arbitrator decides based on past production
The Jets' rights run out eventually, but that's neither here nor there.
What we're discussing is what privileges does a team hold over an RFA?
The fact of the matter is, an RFA is not under NHL contract and can do whatever they want.
Can the team that holds their rights prevent them from talkiing to any other team in the world? No. They're not under NHL contract.
Can the team that holds their rights prevent them from signing with any other team in the world? No. They're not under NHL contract.
Can the team that holds their rights prevent them from leaving for Europe until their RFA rights run out? No. They're not under NHL contract.
Can the team that holds their rights prevent them from skiing or doing extreme sports? No. They're not under NHL contract.
Can the team that holds their rights dictate how they should train or eat? No. They're not under NHL contract.
Can the team that holds their rights dictate how they should communicate on social media or represent the organization? No. They're not under NHL contract.
Can the team that holds their rights force them to show up for training camp or team events? No. They're not under NHL contract.
The only right they have is to match an offer sheet or recieve compensation, and in some cases arbitration.
But arbitration doesn't change anything either. In the case of Club Elected Arbitration, the player can still walk away without taking the offer!
The team can't, because they elected for it, but the player isn't forced into signing if they don't want to. That's not how it works.
If the player elects for it, then they must accept the offer, and the team has the right to refuse and let them walk as a UFA instead. But in this scenario, we're talking about a player wanting to walk and a team trying to retain their rights, so the former is way more likely.
