Dallas Stars Extend Qualifying Offers to Six RFAs Including Several Texas Stars

Image credit: Steven Christy

The Dallas Stars announced today that they have extended six qualifying offers to restricted free agents in the system, including several who spent significant time in Texas this year. The following players were tendered qualifying offers:
  • Richard Bachman
  • Jordie Benn
  • Mark Fistric
  • Ryan Garbutt
  • Luke Gazdic
  • Colton Sceviour
The Stars did not extend QOs to Angelo Esposito, Mikhail Stefanovich, Michael Neal and Jake Hauswirth.

From DallasStars.com:
Teams are required to extend a one-year “qualifying offer” to any current restricted free agent by June 25 in order to receive the right of the first refusal or draft choice compensation should that respective player sign an offer sheet with another NHL club. The qualifying offers will expire at 4 p.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, July 15.

Qualifying offers fall into three categories:

1. A player whose prior year salary was equal or less than $660,000 must receive a qualifying offer of 110% of their prior year’s salary.

2. A player whose prior year salary was more than $660,000 and up to $1 million must receive a qualifying offer of 105% of their prior year’s salary (but in no event shall such qualifying offer exceed $1 million).

3. A player whose prior year salary was more than $1 million must receive a qualifying offer at 100% of their prior year’s salary.

If a team does not give a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent, he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and can sign with any team with no compensation required to the player’s former club.
The chief RFA concern for the Stars is Jamie Benn, who will not get one of these one-year contracts, but instead a longer term deal. Notably absent is Tom Wandell, who the Stars have not yet made a decision on. Philip Larsen is also absent from the list but is expected to get a deal done. Teams have until June 25th to extend qualifying offers.

The players extended QOs are not surprising. The only one that was on the fence was Esposito, and while he played well in the back half of the season, he needed to show more to earn a roster spot. When you've got a fifty contract limit and some highly touted prospects entering the system, you can't take a contract and roster spot up with a player who has not shown he is going to play in the NHL.

Comments

  1. Question 1, If Dallas offers, Can a player not accept?

    Question 2, Do you possibly think Esposito could have played better with a better coach at the helm?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The whole flow is best explained here:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restricted_free_agent#Possible_outcomes

      And on the second question, I don't think coaching was holding back Esposito. He's had the same problems of not living up to his big first round pick promise everywhere he's been.

      Delete
  2. From the description above, it sounds like the players can accept an offer from another team. If another team wants to pick them up, they have to "trade" something for them.

    I think anyone could have been better under different circumstances this past year, but I did notice a few players improve over the year, whether or not that was the result of the coaching.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here's the best description of what happens now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restricted_free_agent#Possible_outcomes

      Delete
  3. Is there a time limit on offers extended?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Qualifying offers expire on July 15 at 5pm. Players who are extended QOs and do not sign them are a bit out of luck if they don't get an offer sheet from another team. If that doesn't happen, they have until December 1 to sign a contract with their original team or they lose an entire season of their career.

      Delete

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