The Leafs can easily make it impossible for another team to make an offer sheet simply by electing arbitration if Knies is not resigned by July 1.
According to the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), once a team elects salary arbitration for a restricted free agent (RFA), that player becomes ineligible to sign an offer sheet with another team. This restriction is outlined in Article 10.2(a)(i)(B) of the CBA:
"Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Group 2 Player requests salary arbitration, or a Club requests salary arbitration, pursuant to Article 12, such Player will not be eligible to negotiate with any Club other than his Prior Club or sign an Offer Sheet pursuant to this Article 10, except as provided in Sections 12.3(a) and 12.10."
This means that once arbitration is elected—by either the player or the team—the player is restricted from negotiating offer sheets with other teams. The exceptions mentioned in Sections 12.3(a) and 12.10 pertain to specific circumstances, such as the timing of arbitration filings and certain procedural nuances.
It's important to note that while a player who files for arbitration can still sign an offer sheet before the arbitration hearing, once the arbitration process is initiated by the team, the player's ability to sign an offer sheet is effectively removed.
