In the 2011 free agency period, two of the premier free agents on the markets are Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty.
As restricted free agents, Stamkos and Doughty are free to talk to any team they want and sign an offer sheet with any team they want. However, other than unsuccessfully negotiating with their own teams, nobody has officially reached out to either of the superstars about a contract.
Although offer sheets have been part of the NHL since before the lockout, most teams haven’t used them in signing free agents. Since the lockout, only six players were signed to offer sheets, with only one time where the offer sheet was not matched.
In that case, the Edmonton Oilers signed Dustin Penner, to a five-year/ $21.5 million contract. As a result, the Anaheim Ducks, Penner’s previous team, were awarded the Oilers’ first, second, and third-round picks in the 2008 draft.
The aftermath of Penner’s signing with the Oilers explains why offer sheets are scarcely used by NHL general managers. The signing was the beginning of a long feud between then-Ducks’ GM Brian Burke (now GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs) and then ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mike Rappaport
Lack of Offer Sheets and Why They Will Never Be a Factor in Free Agency
July 9th, 2011 by Mike Rappaport Leave a reply »
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