Quote:
Originally Posted by ricardodw
I believe it is a basic truth in Hockey.... When a UFA signs with a team he is getting the best deal possible and that no other team wanted to offer him any more money or term.
A UFA that doesn't work out simply can't be dumped until the very end of their contract usually as a desperate playoff rental.
Try and come up with an example where a player that was signed as a UFA was traded for an upgrade.
When Cammalleri burnt his bridges in Montreal they had to take back the worst Flame contract... Bourque.
Brian Campbell who was a big UFA signing for Chicago and key to their first SC win .... The Hawks had to pay 10M of Olez's salary to move Campbell out of town.
According to Frolik's Czech report the only teams that were interested was the Jets and the Flames.
The Jets got Stafford for 2 years @4.35 M. Stafford was a top line player in the Jet's run to the playoffs, much more of a factor than Frolik. I wouldn't be overly surprised if the Jets gave Frolik and Stafford a similar offer and the first guy to accept got it.
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So what you are saying is that any UFA if waived the day after signing would pass through waivers?
Although this should be correct it's obviously not true. Players have preferences for destinations, differing tax regimes give different net incomes, role on the new team, coaches, weather, etc.
What gets teams into trouble is paying for unrealized performance in younger players usually rfas. Or paying for past performance that isn't likely to be sustainable. The Frolik deal doesn't seem to be either. The Gio deal has risk of this.
People bring up jbo as a bad deal but at any point during his time in Calgary had he been waived he would have been picked up.