So far today I have updated >...Malkin, Shattenkirk, Stamkos, Yakupov, Fleury, Lucic, and Ladd, on the Rumor Chart. Click Here
Acquiring rights in the NHL has undergone several interesting evolutions over the last few years. There was a time, not too long ago, when if a team acquired the rights to a player it was a done deal that the team would sign that player. They somehow knew they could get it done. Usually this was as simple as the initial rights holding team's GM letting the other team on as to what it would likely take to sign the player.
It also used to be somewhat common for rights to be acquired and we never knew about it. In those cases a deal wasn't done and somehow the story didn't leak out. Well I do believe those days are over thanks to Twitter in this decade and the amount of people covering the sport.
It also used to be that there were no conditional aspects to trading for rights. Now we see teams pick up rights in deals saying, "They will give up a third rounder if they can sign him prior to July 1." To me, that feels like circumventing the CBA...but it happens.
Of course this is all done for a team to have the right to talk turkey early. The Coyotes made a brilliant move yesterday by trading for these rights before the Draft. They will know, more or less, if they have filled a spot going into next Friday. That kind of data is huge for a staff as they plan.
So how else has this all changed?
Today it is way more common to see rights being acquired and players NOT signing with the new team and then those rights being traded yet again.
All of this begs the question, "Should the UFA period start a few days prior to the Draft?"
This year we could see as many a ten players rights get moved, and maybe multiple times, but there are really three names who are most often coming up in my discussions...
#1. Well of course Stamkos.
Stamkos' rights are among the finest wine available. And the riskiest. I have been told that as of now Tampa isn't even entertaining this, but that a deadline of sorts has been set...and depending on who you talk to that deadline is sometime in the middle of the coming week...prior to the Draft, but just barely prior. What it will take could be as high as second rounder...I don't expect a major player to be involved. I have heard Toronto and Detroit are the two teams most interested in acquiring his rights. Tampa could conceivably trade his rights and still sign him on July 1 when anyone else could.
#2 Keith Yandle.
When I first started hearing the Yotes were looking at acquiring the rights to a Dman I knew it had to be Goligoski or Yandle. Some have told me the Yandle watch is on high alert. the Kings like to acquire rights and the Bruins have interest. He could also still end up back in Arizona as well...if Goligoski doesn't get done.
#3. Milan Lucic
This one is intriguing and could depend on a number of other factors. Edmonton would be the most likely to want to talk to Lucic I am told. Could get expanded quickly though...
We will discuss all this and more on today's show at 1pm ET. Fun times ahead!
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) April 26, 2016