Team: 2022-23 Custom Team

Initial Creation Date: Aug. 22, 2022

Published: Aug. 22, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

What if to add to cap management the NHL introduced a franchise player designation. In this Each team gets to designate one franchise player who:
1) Only 50% of their Cap hit counts against the teams overall cap
2) Player must be with team for minimum 3 seasons before being designated
3) if opts to go to free agency at the end of contract the team is compensated automatically by the signing teams first rounder
4) can only be traded in contract year with trades to team assuming full cap hit.
5) Player will have franchise designation for minimum 3 years
6) If their franchise player were to retire or sign as a UFA, the team may immediately designate their next Franchise player provided they meet the 3 year minimum. Otherwise a team cannot designate for a minimum 1 season.
- example, if Stamkos was designated the Lightnings FP for 2022-2023 season and the Team decides to remove the designation for 2023-2024 season and give it to Point, Point would not be eligible until the 2024-2025 season. This prevents cap circumvention. However if Stamkos retired at the end of the 2023 season, Point would be eligible for the 2023-2024 season.

Expansion team may bypass the 3 season rule. But by 4th season must abide.

This would provide teams cap flexibility while giving fans some loyalty players. It would have some effects on free agency. Drafting in the 1st round would have some more weight. Getting players to sign max deals after the elc would be critical.