With the deadline for teams to issue qualifying offers to restricted free agents on Monday, the Lightning announced that seven of the eight eligible restricted free agents received their offers today.
Just to clarify, players who are issued their qualifying offers are not obligated to sign them. In many ways this is as much of a procedural move more than anything. By issuing the QOs, it retains the rights for the team to match any potential offer sheet a restricted agent may sign or receive draft pick compensation in return, which is based on a sliding scale depending on the amount of salary the contract is worth.
Players do not often sign their offers right away, or even at all. The QO normally requires a certain percentage raise, depending on how much the player made the previous season. There is also an expiration date on the qualifying offers in which a player has to sign the deal, or continue negotiating for a different deal.
The seven players that received their qualifying offers from the Lightning are: Nikita Kucherov Vladislav Namestnikov Kristers Gudlevskis Alex Killorn Nikita Nesterov Yanni Gourde Tye McGinn
The only player who did not receive a qualifying offer and immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent is David Broll.
In addition to the qualifying offers going out today, the Lightning also announced that former center Jeff Halpern has been hired as a full-time assistant coach for Syracuse, joining the staff of new head coach Benoit Groulx. Halpern was a part-time coach and consultant last season for Syracuse.
One other bit of news to take note of that happened on Monday that affects the Lightning is the new six-year, $36 million contract signed by Filip Forsberg in Nashville.
Forsberg is a comparable for Kucherov and will no doubt have an impact in negotiations for Kucherov. I've felt all along that Kucherov was going to get a new deal in the $5.5-$6 million range depending on the length of the deal or if Tampa Bay wanted to try a bridge deal as Kucherov is coming out of his entry-level contract.
Based on some recent signings in Kucherov's class - Alexsander Barkov in Florida among them - Kucherov may now have jumped up in to the $6-$6.5 million range.
Keep an eye on this situation for the rest of the week as Kucherov certainly falls in the danger area of another team issuing an offer sheet. Tampa Bay is in some cap uncertainty with the Steven Stamkos situation still hanging over the team along with the the possible trade of Ben Bishop, which could open up some salary cap space if he is moved.
Either way, Kucherov's situation warrants watching in the coming days.
*Updated development camp schedule*
Practice Groups:
Group A 1 Connor Ingram 31 Kristian Oldham 8 Ryan Lohin 22 Jonne Tammela 34 Christopher Paquette 36 Brayden Point 37 Cam Darcy 41 Saku Salminen 42 Otto Somppi 55 Ryan Zuhlsdorf 56 Ben Thomas 61 Anthony Repaci 67 Mitchell Stephens 73 Adam Erne 74 Dominik Masin 76 Jonathan MacLeod
Group B
20 Mark Grametbauer 35 Nilo Halonen 11 Ross Colton 12 Taylor Raddysh 14 Boris Katchouk 21 Libor Hajek 39 Brian Hart 49 Alexander Iafallo 50 Brett Howden 52 Mathieu Joseph 54 Dennis Yan 58 Boko Imama 60 David Henley 64 Matt Spencer 71 Anthony Cirelli 75 Daniel Walcott 97 Blake Winiecki
TUESDAY, JUNE 28th Goalies 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM: On-Ice (South Rink) Group A 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM: Practice (North Rink) 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM: Forwards Power Skating (North Rink) Defensemen Power Skating (South Rink) 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM: Media Group B 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM: Practice (North Rink) 1:15 PM – 1:45 PM: Defensemen Power Skating (South Rink) 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM: Forwards Power Skating (North Rink)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29th Group B 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM: Practice (North Rink) 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM: Forwards Power Skating (North Rink) Defensemen Power Skating (South Rink) 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM: Media 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM: Off-Ice Group A 9:45 AM – 10:45 AM: Off-Ice 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM: Practice (North Rink) 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM: Forwards Power Skating (South Rink) Defensemen Power Skating (North Rink) 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Media Goalies 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM: On-Ice (North Rink)
THURSDAY, JUNE 30th Goalies 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM: On-Ice (North Rink) Group A1 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (North Rink) 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM: Power Skating (North Rink) 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Media 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Off-Ice Group A2 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Off-Ice 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (South Rink) 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM: Power Skating (North Rink) 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Media Group B1 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Off-Ice 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (South Rink) 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM: Power Skating (North Rink) 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Media Group B2 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Off-Ice 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Media 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (South Rink) 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM: Power Skating (North Rink)
FRIDAY, JULY 1st Goalies 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM: On-Ice (North Rink) Group A 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Off-Ice 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (North Rink) 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM: Media Group B 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (North Rink) 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM: Off-Ice 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM: Media 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: 3 on 3 Tournament (North Rink)
SATURDAY, JULY 2nd Group A 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (North Rink) 11:45 AM – 1:30 PM: 3 on 3 Tournament (North Rink) 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Media
Group B 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM: Shooting/ Skills Practice (North Rink) 11:45 AM – 1:30 PM: 3 on 3 Tournament (North Rink) 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Media
*All times subject to change