Speculation: RFA offer sheet idea

[qqaz]

Hi all,

I've brought this suggestion up before, and thought I'd bring it up again. The size of an offer sheet determines how many draft picks go back as compensation. But there is a number where no compensation is required. This year they set that amount at $1,386,490. Any offer sheet at or below that amount requires no compensation.

Meanwhile, the NHL doesn't let you bury a player's full cap hit in the minors anymore. But about a million does come off if a player is assigned to the NHL, while the rest of the cap hit still applies.

That means an offer sheet in the area of 1 to 1.38 million puts the receiving team in a pickle, especially if they're a team that spends to the cap. Either let them go with no compensation, or match the offer and have the player eat cap space (even if assigned to the minors). You'd only be looking at borderline NHL talent, players that may or may not make the big show full time where they currently are. But that's still interesting.

Vitali Kravtsov, as an example, seem like a player that could be snagged this way. He doesn't really want to be in the Rangers system, so he'd probably sign an offer sheet. And the Rangers probably don't expect him to be with the big club for the entirety of next season, so why let him eat up cap space if they send him down? A offer sheet at 1.3 million could be a smart gamble for another team.

Anyone think this might work? Any other RFA players looking like they could be in that 1 to 1.3 million range, but not guaranteed a spot with their current team next season? Cody Glass in Nashville?

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[Big Daddy Cane]

The difference between the upper bound of the no compensation tier and the buried threshold was just ~262k in 21-22. That penalty for a matching club is pretty trivial.

 

[banks]

Interesting plan. It's a bit of a loophole. If you're making this kind of offer sheet for a borderline player, the team will never match and waste cap-space on a player that might be in the minors.

From what I understand of the Kravstov situation, I think this would work %100 to get him. Assuming there's a team willing to pay him 1.3 million.

 

[qqaz]

The difference between the upper bound of the no compensation tier and the buried threshold was just ~262k in 21-22. That penalty for a matching club is pretty trivial.

I tried to find the bury threshold for this season, and couldn't find it. Do you know the number that can be buried completly?

Even if it is just 200K, a lot of cap strapped teams wouldn't be willing to spend that on a player they expect to have in the minors.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

If it’s a player you wouldn’t keep at $1.3M, it’s probably not someone you’re all that concerned with getting compensation for.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

I tried to find the bury threshold for this season, and couldn't find it. Do you know the number that can be buried completly?

Even if it is just 200K, a lot of cap strapped teams wouldn't be willing to spend that on a player they expect to have in the minors.

$1.125 mil (Link).

My point is that it's so secondary that it's not important. Paying a player you actively want on the roster at the league minimum or close to it is what hurts. The typical skater will require waivers at the same time that they're eligible for an offer sheet. ~611k per, the difference between the upper bound and the min salary, is a deal breaker higher up in the lineup.