I'd lower the compensation costs.

It's hard to get someone to sign a superstar when they also have to give up 4 firsts.

I think there will be little opposition to lowering the age for arbitration. The owners feared it but it's turned into something both sides like.

I think arbitration age is too young as is.

I like what @palhal said about the compensation and would add something to the effect that a pick in the compensation can be renegotiated to be player as well.

I like high costs, this sort of move needs to be double edged sword imo.

I'd just like to see more movement. More use of offersheets

I think arbitration age is too young as is.

I like what @palhal said about the compensation and would add something to the effect that a pick in the compensation can be renegotiated to be player as well.

As the description says: with the league having the option to opt out of the CBA come September, how would you improve upon the current RFA rights and offer sheet rules to make them more effective/viable.

Just looking for some intelligent conversation, ignore the roster Lol

@Trickster, @Jamiepo, @Jangle29, @blowing_the_zone, @TanSor, @OldNYIfan, @swinny, @LoganOllivier, @palhal, @BCAPP, @Bcarlo25, @MisstheWhalers. What do you guys think?

Fine tune the offer sheeting proccess!

I would remove offersheets completely, they are a waste of time. I would lower the age of ufa to 25 or 5 seasons. Arbitration would only require one season. I think this is something the owner may not like but I think in the long run will help both sides. The only issue I see with this formula is defensemen. They take a bit longer to develop and would be hitting ufa before you really know what you have. Maybe a longer period for goalies and defensemen but I think that would be tricky to pull off.

Ew, I dont know how you would like that man.
Sounds a nightmare to navigate as a agM

This is what the nhlpa wants. Lower the ufa age. Although if rfa’s keep signing big ufa type deals maybe it won’t be an issue

There is no stopping moves right now, you just have to be willing to pay the price.
I think the price is perfect right now, think about it.

You draft and develop, put and a ton resources and money into a player.
Why should it be easy for another team to come and take a player away?

Lots of good points here. Just to pick up on a couple and add a thought


*I think this shift in the rfa landscape runs deeper than rising salaries for rfas. The game is changing and shifting to speed, skill and youth. But as these young guys eat up a greater percentage of the cap it's the middle class of players that are feeling the pinch. Regardless of what people think of the players union, it's the union that negotiates on the players behalf with the NHL owners. At a certain point I would assume that the majority of the players union (the middle class guys) start pushing back against this trend of paying super star rfas such a big percentage of the cap.

I love what you wrote you. As much as players will say publicly when one of their star team mates gets a big contract. "GREAT, he good paid......in the Leafs case Tavares, Matthews, Nylander and imagine Marner.....other players without as much leverage will be getting squeezed. Let's say the big four were paid less, maybe that might have meant, Johnsson and Kapenen would have been delighted to 1.25m and signed long term deals instead of signing short term deals for less money. Their long term financial security is at risk because the emphasize to pay/maybe overpay the stars.

There are about 800 NHLPA members. Betcha there are about 600 members wish that more money flowing down to the bottom end guys than concentrated on elite five guys per team. And those 600 have the majority on how they want contract demands are presented to the NHL. Plus those individual bottom end players as the same voting power as individual stars.

It kinda reminds why happen (apparently) in the past NBA negotiation with their players. There was a discussion about free agency and the pay scale. The player reps couldn't agree among themselves how their share of the pot should. be divided. Finally the owners said " The players are getting 50% of the revenues. No more. How you divide up among the players, we don't care. If you want to give all to Micheal Jordan...that OK with us."

So as much as I could see the next CBA being a fight between the union and the owners, I could also see it being a fight between players in the union.