Kapanen doesn't get the leafs a 1st round pick. A team can just offer sheet him for a 2nd round pick.

You need to be prepared to match an offer between $2M to $4M (likely $4M) for Kapanen, or be prepared to lose him for a 2nd round pick.

All great points but the compensations have to change next CBA, Kappy is worth more then a 2nd rounder.

Wild aren't trading our first. We could offer Greenway for Kapanen 1 for 1 but that's it.

Then the leafs should have managed their cap better. The league doesnt need to change the rules just because Toronto payed their star RFA $11.6M on a 5 year deal.

Offersheets are already very rare in the NHL. I think the compensation is pretty reasonable. If you can't afford to match a $4M offer, you don't deserve to keep that players rights.

Your last sentence is a pretty solid point.

I agree with your points. However, I think it’s a combination of drafting and developing really well and going after the big ticket UFA in Tavares. I am confident that every team would give Nylander, Matthews, and soon to be Marner the same contracts if given the opportunity. In my personal opinion a team shouldn’t be punished for having an embarrassment of riches when it comes to young talent.

Great point.

That it's even worse return supports my larger point -- if Marner wants $11m and someone will pay it, best that it isn't the Leafs, and they put that money elsewhere and take whatever picks/prospects they can get out of his rights.

My personal opinion, but I don't think anyone will offersheet Marner for $11M per year. That's a massive contract and a ton of draft picks to give up (where as you could sign panarin for $11M and give up no draft picks).

I think it should have been easy to sign Marner for 8 yrs × $10M, however after giving Matthews $11.6M and somehow only getting him for 5 years and not 8, Marner has a lot more leverage with the leafs.

If I'm Marner's agent:
- If Matthew's is worth $11.6M on a 5 year deal, what was he worth on an 8 year deal?
- Why is Marner not worth the same or close to the same as Matthews?

I'm baffled by that contract still, and again my personal opinion, but I think Matthews will be traded. Reminds me of when MTL only signed Galchenyuk for his last 3 RFA years (meaning he would be UFA at the end of his contract). The writing is on the wall, TOR (just like MTL) isn't gonna let Matthews get to UFA status, he will be traded.

Nice post , Captain.

I agree with your thinking here. I don't think AM gets to free agency either, he'll either be resigned or traded. A JT situation like what the islanders went through is something that should be avoided.

There's lots of talk on the changing rfa landscape, and with good reason. The big takeaway that I'm left with is that there is an increasing disconnect between a fanbase's interpretation of a players allegiance and a player's interpretation of that.. rfa or ufa.

I think the days of life long players for one team, like Yzerman, Lemieux etc are long dead and gone. Crosby might do it, maybe Ovie, maybe a couple others.. but I see it as increasingly rare.

With 31 teams, soon to be 32, and the increasing parity across the league, both individuals and teams are realizing how hard it is to win a cup and how limited a window could be for both an individual and a team. It must be a hard pill for a guy like Thornton or Marleau. Amazing careers and yet, no cup.

Ive dropped the notion that any player will or should be loyal to one team. I find it easier to manage the cognitive dissonance..