AROUND THE LEAGUE - 26-27

[Cousin Strawberry]

Sounds like Simon Edvinsson now wants out of Detroit.

Yuck, what a mess in the Motor City.

Even crazier is that who Vancouver really wanted back in a Auit Hughes trade and they refused to include him.

I would love if they had the assets to make a play on Edvinsson but it would cost the world to scoop him up.

Isn't he able to sign an offer sheet? What would it take? 20/yr?

[donlever]

Nope....once regular season commences no go on offer sheets.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Google says Dec 1

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/red-w ... 00566.html

[donlever]

Yeah...the wording is ambiguous but my understanding is no, he can only sign with Detroit.

Under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the window for signing an offer sheet runs from July 1 until December 1, but it is restricted to the offseason and prior to the start of the regular season team play. Because the 2026–27 NHL regular season is underway, Edvinsson can now only sign a contract with the Detroit Red Wings or be traded.

Edit...Cuz, I did some more research and you may be correct. I'm no CBA guru (clearly) but my understanding was not this....it appears I misinterpreted the wording (although the more you dig in the more all over the place it is....)

.....offer sheets can legally be extended and signed by Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) between July 1 and December 1 at 5:00 PM ET.

Signing an offer sheet during the regular season (between the start of the season and the December deadline) introduces unique rule mechanisms and salary cap constraints:

1. The Hard December 1st Deadline
If an RFA does not sign a contract or an offer sheet by December 1 at 5:00 PM ET, they are legally ruled ineligible to play in the NHL for the remainder of that entire season. Therefore, any offer sheet paperwork must be completed and signed by the player before this deadline.

2. The Prorated Cap Hit "Weapon"
When an RFA signs a multi-year contract or offer sheet after the regular season has already begun, a special CBA formula calculates a heavily inflated Year 1 cap hit.

• The Formula: The salary for the first year is compressed into the remaining days of the NHL season. This means the player's cap hit for Year 1 will be significantly higher than the contract's actual Average Annual Value (AAV) for that season.

• The Strategic Impact: A rival team can weaponize this timing against a club tight against the salary cap. If the original team matches the offer sheet, the inflated Year 1 cap hit could immediately push them over the cap ceiling or force them to make emergency trades.

3. Normal Offer Sheet Rules Still Apply
Even during the season, the baseline rules of the offer sheet remain intact:

• The 7-Day Window: Once the player signs the offer sheet, the original team has exactly seven days to either match the exact terms or decline it and accept draft pick compensation.

• Draft Compensation: The team extending the offer sheet must still possess and use their own original draft picks for the upcoming draft based on the corresponding AAV tier.

• Trade Freeze: The original team cannot trade the player's rights once an offer sheet is signed. If they match the offer sheet, they are legally barred from trading that player for one full calendar year (365 days).