Free Agent Claims after Jan 1st

[Shoalzie]

You're going to deal with this GP conundrum every season if you don't put out a full lineup that keeps you immune from that rule. Unfortunately, Shiv left you a bare cupboard and you basically have to start over. Pretty much nothing in the way of draft picks or prospects. Plus, the NHL-level roster was in shambles.

That's why I've said from day 1 that you have a lot work ahead of you. You'll have to give up some of your futures to get players that can fill a need on your team. It's going to take several seasons to get out of this mess. It will cost you futures and players along the way. You need to be creative. This doesn't get resolved in one year.

[Da_Hawks]

I'm not looking for it to be resolved in one year. I'm asking that the league look into ways that helps rebuilding teams not take an enternity to get back to a reasonable level of competitiveness. It should not take 5-7 years for a team to get back to respectability. There may only be 2 of us asking for help this year, but is there not this request every year? Maybe something needs to be done to help along the rebuilding teams. We aren't asking for additional draft picks or free players - but we would like to be able to keep managing our teams in an intelligent matter. Currently this is not possible. A team that has fuck all should not be held to the same standards as a team who has everything.

[Bruyns]

Bingo. But how are we supposed to acquire those several pieces, when we are trading everything to maintain GP to try and protect the position of our 1st round pick? I get that this is a rebuild and it takes multiple years to get to where we need to go. But if a team with zero foundation (like mine) is spending all of our assets just to get players to hit a minimum for the first 3 years, it's going to take another 5 before any of the lucky middle round picks that we actually get to use turns out to be something interesting.

AND if we decide not to acquire GP pieces and let our 1st round pick devalue (therefore keeping our middle round picks to draft) the rules state that we get fired.

As it is - very difficult to rebuild a team from the bottom up within a reasonable time frame with the rules that are currently in place.

If trading a 3rd round pick for a player that will play in 70 games isn't worth saving the value of your first round pick...that's up to you. Granted, we use the NHL lottery so no one is guaranteed of a position in the draft based on order of finish. And the 3rd round pick I speak of has no guarantee of yielding any long-term value for a rebuilding team either. Once you get past the 2nd round of the draft...your odds of drafting a future NHLer goes down greatly.

You need to prioritize what's more important. If you want to risk losing value of your 1st round pick and hang onto your picks and prospects...that's your choice. You'll deal with a punishment for missing GP and basically give away draft picks and draft position as the penalty.

How about instead, use that potential lost value and acquire a player or two?

Because you cannot properly rebuild if your only future draft picks are your 1st rounders (just ask the Oilers). When you are trading multiple picks for 3rd and 4th liners, you are not taking a step forward - only back.

2 for 1 trades also can be your friend. As soon as next year you might have Lundestrom, Comtois, Vesalainen and Guhle and others like Wilde and Bokk are probably not that far off, you will be OK soon. Also even if it's an older player keep your eyes out for cheap GP options. I traded Williams for the 93rd pick this offseason because he is old and no one wanted him even though he is productive, every year GMs have players that are no longer waiver exempt and find themselves having to make a move.

A few years from now you will have depth and some new passionate GM will come around complaining about GP and you will probably feel differently and expect them to dig themself out of the hole they are in just like countless other GMs have, yourself included.

[Bruyns]

I'm not looking for it to be resolved in one year. I'm asking that the league look into ways that helps rebuilding teams not take an enternity to get back to a reasonable level of competitiveness. It should not take 5-7 years for a team to get back to respectability. There may only be 2 of us asking for help this year, but is there not this request every year? Maybe something needs to be done to help along the rebuilding teams. We aren't asking for additional draft picks or free players - but we would like to be able to keep managing our teams in an intelligent matter. Currently this is not possible. A team that has fuck all should not be held to the same standards as a team who has everything.

There is no magic solution though. No chance GP minimum gets lower since it's already such a low bar. Allowing claims after Jan 1 doesn't help, sure this year maybe McKegg gets some GP but what if next year there are no players in FA that are playing in the NHL, changing that rule won't help rebuilding teams the majority of years. The fine for missing GP is already not that harsh and as mentioned earlier if you end up with 5 or 6 instead of 3 or 4 sometimes you might even end up with the better player anyways. There are ppl here that have been in this league for 9 years so the GP issue is one that has been discussed ad nauseam and I think we are in a pretty good spot right now.

[Da_Hawks]

Next year I will be in the exact same situation. I can't expect that Cullen and Kunitz will be back and who knows with Ladd.

It's very rare that I look to make a selfish decision. I try and make recommendations that can improve any league that I am as a whole. I'd rather see teams be able to bounce back on their feet, be able to keep draft picks for trading for someone that they want instead of someone that they need. I've not seen such strict rules in other leagues and they work perfectly fine. I'm simply asking that we have a little more lattitude with our moves and abilities to pick up players to help along instead of just seeing them do nothing on the waiver wire.

[Shoalzie]

I'll say the same thing I said to the CC...you and Koomz are going to need more than just McKegg or Cracknell to get to 850 games. The best players that could've been claimed in free agency are probably already on a roster.

People can look at me sideways for giving up several 3rd and 4th and 5th round picks for the likes of Lazar, Elie, Irwin and Archibald. We all have different needs for our own situations. I would've rather kept some extra draft picks but I had empty spots in my lineup. Archibald has been the only consistent help to my team. I've played with basically 3 or 4 defensemen all season and believe I'd love to add a player to help me but I don't have the resources.

You want to talk about all the top teams having all the players. Have you looked at Cliff's roster? He's 30th place and he's doing okay with players. He's got more GP than a third of the league. Granted, he's several years into his rebuild but that's how you avoid missing on GP while still being able to draft talent.

You can't keep every pick and prospect. We don't have proper free agency...players and picks are our currency.

[Bruyns]

I have also seen myself, DAL, PHI, VAN and EDM go from lottery teams to contenders in a few years and teams like BOS, CHI, PIT, STL, MTL, CBJ and COL go from contenders to lottery teams.

The teams that are fixtures at the top or bottom you can attribute some of that to GM skill.

[Da_Hawks]

I'll say the same thing I said to the CC...you and Koomz are going to need more than just McKegg or Cracknell to get to 850 games. The best players that could've been claimed in free agency are probably already on a roster.

People can look at me sideways for giving up several 3rd and 4th and 5th round picks for the likes of Lazar, Elie, Irwin and Archibald. We all have different needs for our own situations. I would've rather kept some extra draft picks but I had empty spots in my lineup. Archibald has been the only consistent help to my team. I've played with basically 3 or 4 defensemen all season and believe I'd love to add a player to help me but I don't have the resources.

You want to talk about all the top teams having all the players. Have you looked at Cliff's roster? He's 30th place and he's doing okay with players. He's got more GP than a third of the league. Granted, he's several years into his rebuild but that's how you avoid missing on GP while still being able to draft talent.

You can't keep every pick and prospect. We don't have proper free agency...players and picks are our currency.

Agreed that McKegg and Cracknell are not fixes that will solve all of our problems. I've been asking around for more GP players, you know that as we've had some discussions. In the most cases, teams are asking for my top prospects for 30 year old fringe 4th liners. I'll continue these talks, but when your currency is limited like mine - the talks are hard. I'm not trading my top prospects for short-term fixes. I may have to take the penalty for GP in the first couple of years - but I don't want to be fired either. Hoping there is some latitude from the CC in that regards.

[Bruyns]

We aren't going to fire an active GM who is competent. It's an ancient rule to allow the league the ability to remove a GM who is running his team into the ground.

[Da_Hawks]

We aren't going to fire an active GM who is competent. It's an ancient rule to allow the league the ability to remove a GM who is running his team into the ground.

Well that is certainly good to know.

I'd still like to claim McKegg. He's basically taken the spot of J.Staal so it only makes sense that I get him.

[Lee]

We should not be finding ways to lower the bar of personal responsibility even further. 850 shouldn't be the goal. It feels like there are very few teams actually competing and everyone else is racing to the bottom.

[Da_Hawks]

We should not be finding ways to lower the bar of personal responsibility even further. 850 shouldn't be the goal. It feels like there are very few teams actually competing and everyone else is racing to the bottom.

More would be competing if teams could rebuild quicker.

[Sensfanjosh]

We should not be finding ways to lower the bar of personal responsibility even further. 850 shouldn't be the goal. It feels like there are very few teams actually competing and everyone else is racing to the bottom.

Or stuck in the middle like me

[CasperX22]

We should not be finding ways to lower the bar of personal responsibility even further. 850 shouldn't be the goal. It feels like there are very few teams actually competing and everyone else is racing to the bottom.

More would be competing if teams could rebuild quicker.

Doubtful. I think everyone realizes there are only a handful of cup caliber teams out there and only a handful more that are legit playoff caliber teams. What has happened is that the majority of the league has been gridlocked into mediocrity due to the extreme highs at the top and extreme lows at the bottom.

[Lee]

No one is stuck where they are. I was 7th last overall last year and I am top 5 this year.

[CasperX22]

No one is stuck where they are. I was 7th last overall last year and I am top 5 this year.

You also had a top 10 team last year in scoring categories with a lot of capital in the minors. That and playing in the Metro where it's fairly weak overall and most teams going backwards, and a lot of your players having breakout/career years...yeah it happens. Most teams don't have those kind of circumstances or capital lying around to push their team forward. And your team showed indicators last year it was primed to make a jump.

[Handsome&FairMike]

Lol so much metro hate... smh

[CasperX22]

It's not hate, it's reality. Lee is set up to own that division for the next few years. He not only has a really good NHL roster, but he has more capital lying around in the minors than anyone else jn the division. Aside from Thom who still has a pretty good team the rest of the teams range from mediocre-bad

[Lee]

I keep hearing how bad the metro is yet we have 5 of the top 16 teams in the league. If anything, I'd say the Metro is more competitive than any other division.

[Arian The Insider]

I keep hearing how bad the metro is yet we have 5 of the top 16 teams in the league. If anything, I'd say the Metro is more competitive than any other division.

The Pacfic has 5 as well