How Does the NHL Free Agency Work? |Snap Shots Episode 49

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello Bruins fans, It's been a minute since we've had a snapshot. This is a special little episode for you all for free agency. Figure out what is it, how does it work, what does it mean? But also we've got a special announcement our podcast has gone independent and with that we've got a great new option for ad free listening through our Patreon as well as a merch store, So make sure you check it out link in bio and in the show notes. I'm going to play for you now an awesome little video we put together on our socials to help understand what the free agency is.

0:35 Speaker 1: And Maria's got some more info about our patreon as well.

0:39 Speaker 2: Go b's So what is the NHL free agency?

0:45 Speaker 3: How does it work? Well? New contracts are signed every year on July first. When a player's contract expires on June thirtieth, he becomes one of three kinds of free agents, restricted free agents, restricted free agents with arbitration, and unrestricted free agents. These statuses are determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement or CBA. The CBA is an agreement made between franchise owners and the players Association.

1:10 Speaker 2: It all starts with what's known as the twenty seven rule, if a player is twenty seven years of age or is completed seven accrued seasons, then they are automatically an unrestricted free agent and they can negotiate their next contract anyway they'd like. If the player doesn't meet either of those terms, then they're one of two kinds of restricted free agent. RFAs are defined by the amount of time that they've played professionally their age by June thirtieth, in the age they sign their very first or entry level contract.

1:41 Speaker 2: But wait, what's an accrude season versus a pro season and how are they different? Well, accrued seasons are used in the twenty seven rule. A single accrued season is defined as forty games rostered for skaters in thirty games rostered for goalies. Pro seasons are used to determine if an r is eligible for arbitration. A pro season is defined as a minimum of ten games played in any kind of pro league like the NHL, AHL, KHL, or SHL. The number of pro seasons needed to become an RFA with arbitration rights depends on the player's age when he signed his first contract.

2:18 Speaker 2: Players who are between ages eighteen and twenty have to play at least four pro seasons, three seasons for those who signed at twenty one, two seasons for twenty two and twenty three year olds, in one pro season for those who sign at twenty four or older. If a player hasn't met these thresholds, then they are an RFA in must accept the qualifying offer presented. If they do meet these thresholds, then they have arbitration rights, which means they can actively negotiate their next contract, and if there is a disagreement, they can request a mediator to assist in negotiations.

2:51 Speaker 2: Players who opt to hold out as an RFA must have a contract by December first of that year in order to play in that put timeticular NHL season. All RFAs expect to receive a qualifying offer. This is the franchise deciding to hold on to the free agent's playing rights. All QoS must be at least one year in length, increase the player's salary by a certain percentage based on the previous contract's total value, and preserve the one way or two way clause from the previous contract. If an RFA with or without arbitration is not presented with a qualifying offer, they automatically become a UFA.

3:30 Speaker 2: Hope this helps make sense of the NHL free agency. Who are you keeping an eye on this year?

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4:10 Speaker 4: Tap the link in the show notes and take your spot on the bench.