Post by Jazz on Jul 1, 2004 20:02:18 GMT -5
A look at the different criteria for free agents ahead of the free-agency period[/u][/color][/size]
PIERRE LEBRUN
Canadian Press
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
source: CANADA.COM
(CP) - A look at the different criteria for free agents ahead of Thursday's official kickoff to the NHL free-agency period:
CP's take: The largest number of players belong to this group every year. Every team has at least half of dozen. And yet there's nothing "free" about these guys. There's just too much compensation to sign a Group 2 player. Sergei Fedorov was the last such player to get an offer sheet in February 1998 from Carolina. It was matched by Detroit.
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[/li][li]Group 3 (unrestricted)[/b] - Players age 31 or older as of June 30 with at least four years of NHL experience.
CP's take: These are the players that have received the big bucks over the years, like Derian Hatcher's five-year $30-million US deal last summer with Detroit. This year's crop is larger than most years as clubs have timed the expiration of these contracts with the looming lockout.
This year's class - unless they signed before midnight Wednesday - includes Alexei Kovalev, Richard Matvichuk, Alexei Zhamnov, Ed Belfour, Teemu Selanne, Peter Bondra, Mathieu Schneider, Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, Glen Wesley, Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Keith Carney, Chris Osgood, Craig Conroy, Ziggy Palffy, Vincent Damphousse, Sean Hill, Alexei Zhitnik, Mike Knuble, Michal Nylander, Glen Murray and Brian Rolston.
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[/li][li]Group 4 (restricted)[/b] - Players who have never signed an NHL contract and who become a free agent after having met the conditions for a defected player. The NHL club owning his rights must make a qualifying offer and receives only the right to match any offer sheet signed by the player with another NHL club.
CP' take: Ignore this one, it's the most obscure category and is seldom used. These are usually European players drafted in the late rounds who never see the light of day this side of the ocean. They end up playing with European clubs while certain NHL teams retain their rights.
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[/li][li]Group 5[/b] - Players who have completed 10 pro seasons or more (NHL or minors, excluding junior hockey), are in the final year of their contracts, have earned less than the NHL average salary ($1.83 million) and received a qualifying offer. These players have the right to elect Group 5 unrestricted free agency once in their careers. Should a player not elect to become an unrestricted free agent, he would remain a Group 2 free agent.
CP's take: These guys always opt for unrestricted free agency. Martin Lapointe did it three years ago and got a monster contract from Boston. This year's top Group 5 free agent is Paul Kariya, who purposely took a massive pay cut in Colorado last season so he could qualify for this.
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[/li][li]Group 6 (unrestricted)[/b] - Players 25 or older, have completed three or more professional seasons, and in the case of a player other than a goaltender have played fewer than 80 NHL games (regular-season and playoff), or in the case of a goaltender have played fewer than 28 NHL games (regular-season and playoff).
CP's take: These guys are usually fringe players who spend most of their careers in the minors although defenceman Nathan Dempsey qualified under this category in the summer of 2002 and left Toronto for Chicago.[/li][/ul]
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Draft choice compensation for signing Group 2 restricted free agents:
Offer: $743,725 or below; compensation: none.
Over $743,725 - $1,022,622: Third-round choice.
Over $1,022,622 - $1,208,554: Second-round choice.
Over $1,208,554 - $1,487,452: First-round choice.
Over $1,487,452 - $1,859,312: First and third-round choices.
Over $1,859,312 - $2,231,175: First and second-round choices.
Over $2,231,175 - $2,603,038: Two first-round choices.
Over $2,603,038 - $3,160,831: Two first-round and one second-round choice.
Over $3,160,831: Three first-round choices.
Each additional $1,859,312: One additional first-round choice to a maximum of five.
CP's take: In other words, if a team were to offer $8 million a year to restricted free agent Jarome Iginla next week and the Flames did not match within seven days, Calgary would receive five first-round draft picks as compensation.
© Copyright 2004 The Canadian Press
PIERRE LEBRUN
Canadian Press
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
source: CANADA.COM
(CP) - A look at the different criteria for free agents ahead of Thursday's official kickoff to the NHL free-agency period:
- Group 2 (restricted)
CP's take: The largest number of players belong to this group every year. Every team has at least half of dozen. And yet there's nothing "free" about these guys. There's just too much compensation to sign a Group 2 player. Sergei Fedorov was the last such player to get an offer sheet in February 1998 from Carolina. It was matched by Detroit.
-
[/li][li]Group 3 (unrestricted)[/b] - Players age 31 or older as of June 30 with at least four years of NHL experience.
CP's take: These are the players that have received the big bucks over the years, like Derian Hatcher's five-year $30-million US deal last summer with Detroit. This year's crop is larger than most years as clubs have timed the expiration of these contracts with the looming lockout.
This year's class - unless they signed before midnight Wednesday - includes Alexei Kovalev, Richard Matvichuk, Alexei Zhamnov, Ed Belfour, Teemu Selanne, Peter Bondra, Mathieu Schneider, Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, Glen Wesley, Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Keith Carney, Chris Osgood, Craig Conroy, Ziggy Palffy, Vincent Damphousse, Sean Hill, Alexei Zhitnik, Mike Knuble, Michal Nylander, Glen Murray and Brian Rolston.
-
[/li][li]Group 4 (restricted)[/b] - Players who have never signed an NHL contract and who become a free agent after having met the conditions for a defected player. The NHL club owning his rights must make a qualifying offer and receives only the right to match any offer sheet signed by the player with another NHL club.
CP' take: Ignore this one, it's the most obscure category and is seldom used. These are usually European players drafted in the late rounds who never see the light of day this side of the ocean. They end up playing with European clubs while certain NHL teams retain their rights.
-
[/li][li]Group 5[/b] - Players who have completed 10 pro seasons or more (NHL or minors, excluding junior hockey), are in the final year of their contracts, have earned less than the NHL average salary ($1.83 million) and received a qualifying offer. These players have the right to elect Group 5 unrestricted free agency once in their careers. Should a player not elect to become an unrestricted free agent, he would remain a Group 2 free agent.
CP's take: These guys always opt for unrestricted free agency. Martin Lapointe did it three years ago and got a monster contract from Boston. This year's top Group 5 free agent is Paul Kariya, who purposely took a massive pay cut in Colorado last season so he could qualify for this.
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[/li][li]Group 6 (unrestricted)[/b] - Players 25 or older, have completed three or more professional seasons, and in the case of a player other than a goaltender have played fewer than 80 NHL games (regular-season and playoff), or in the case of a goaltender have played fewer than 28 NHL games (regular-season and playoff).
CP's take: These guys are usually fringe players who spend most of their careers in the minors although defenceman Nathan Dempsey qualified under this category in the summer of 2002 and left Toronto for Chicago.[/li][/ul]
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Draft choice compensation for signing Group 2 restricted free agents:
Offer: $743,725 or below; compensation: none.
Over $743,725 - $1,022,622: Third-round choice.
Over $1,022,622 - $1,208,554: Second-round choice.
Over $1,208,554 - $1,487,452: First-round choice.
Over $1,487,452 - $1,859,312: First and third-round choices.
Over $1,859,312 - $2,231,175: First and second-round choices.
Over $2,231,175 - $2,603,038: Two first-round choices.
Over $2,603,038 - $3,160,831: Two first-round and one second-round choice.
Over $3,160,831: Three first-round choices.
Each additional $1,859,312: One additional first-round choice to a maximum of five.
CP's take: In other words, if a team were to offer $8 million a year to restricted free agent Jarome Iginla next week and the Flames did not match within seven days, Calgary would receive five first-round draft picks as compensation.
© Copyright 2004 The Canadian Press
