Quote:
Originally Posted by MisterJoji
Okay Bettman, good luck trying to enforce that. In no way are any teams obligated to sign their UFA's before the expansion draft. LV already gets an early 48 hour window to negotiate with UFA's and none of those UFA's are obligated to sign with Vegas either and can sign with whomever they want after the draft. I can see it now:
Bettman: "Mr. Stone you are to sign with LV this summer, no ifs ands or buts."
Stone: "Go #### yourself"
Calgary re-signs Stone after the expansion draft.
Bettman: "Calgary you will be punished for signing a UFA who was fully allowed to sign with any team they wish."
Treliving: "Prove collusion. Also, go #### yourself."
Bettman is such an ass.
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Very scriptive and imaginative. Stone doesn't have to sign with Vegas to have a backdoor deal with the Flames.
Let's say several teams complained that Stone was unusually unreasonable in his contract negotiations, despite being a free agent (not the most saught after one either) in need of a contract, only to sign with the Flames for less money or less term that what was offered elsewhere. Given we know the Flames intend to sign him, there is circumstancial evidence that suggests the Flames circumvented the draft.
Now since when did the NHL need proof for anything they did? Did they let Kovalchuk prove he wouldn't retire at 45 yrs old? No, it was circumstantial. Did they prove Wideman wasn't cognitively responsible for his actions last year? This isnt a court of law, it's the court of the NHL. And any suspension, dirty play, and John Scott ballot will tell you the NHL doesn't give a #### about what's beyond a reasonable doubt.