Free Agent Claims after Jan 1st

[Da_Hawks]

So, right now there are 3 players as free agents who could make for some nice fill-in (free) GP for the bottom teams trying to make GP - yet they cannot be touched. Chances are that McKegg and Cracknell are not that relevant moving forward (maybe Mckegg more than Cracknell) and not likely to be taken in the waiver draft...

Was wondering what people thought would be an appropriate way to handle this moving forward. Perhaps only allow free agent claims to those players actually playing in the NHL, and reserve prospect signings for the waiver draft and BBKL entry draft?

Thoughts?

[dave1959]

my opinion is to leave it the way it is, and they go to waiver draft, that way the better ones go to teams that need them, not the first team to log in and grab the guy

[Da_Hawks]

my opinion is to leave it the way it is, and they go to waiver draft, that way the better ones go to teams that need them, not the first team to log in and grab the guy

Could we not figure out a way that the lower teams get priority? Similar to the waiver process?

[Matthew]

Trade your waiver pick for a gp player. Done.

[Sensfanjosh]

Trade your waiver pick for a gp player. Done.

It's easy to say stuff like this but the fact is trading is down in the league and it's gotten really hard to make fair deals. Everyone wants a big win to make a deal

[Da_Hawks]

Trade your waiver pick for a gp player. Done.

Not the point of this topic... at all...

If this league wants the bottom teams to stop being bottom teams, should we not try and find ways to get the bottom teams GP pieces without them having to give up primo futures? What does it change if the Hawks/Yotes/Blues pick up McKegg or Craknell instead of the top teams... who would not even play them?

[koomzzz]

I don't see an issue with allowing the bottom teams having first pick and players that are now getting GP in the NHL. And restrict it to only players getting GP in the NHL. Nothing will change anyway

[CasperX22]

The skater gp number is 850...do we really need to find new ways to get guys gp? I'm a rebuilding team too and I'm likely going to hit that number before the end of the match-up period. Make trades. Gp has been so devalued by the extremely low gp number anyway.

[koomzzz]

The skater gp number is 850...do we really need to find new ways to get guys gp? I'm a rebuilding team too and I'm likely going to hit that number before the end of the match-up period. Make trades. Gp has been so devalued by the extremely low gp number anyway.

When I miss you can take a look and see what else I can do, I get offered guys that get less GP than I have getting scratched regularly, or I get told to pay more than I need to for a GP guy that might not even play. I'm not paying what little assets I have left just to get there, especially when the guys I get end up not even helping me get there. OR I get told "I'd rather keep my depth" yeah, I bet you would.

For example:
I trade for Hannikainen > injured
I trade for Pyatt > traded from a shit Ottawa team to Vancouver, sent down, never gonna play
I trade for Salomaki > injured
I trade for Paul > scratched in Ottawa while they dress 11F and 7D for no reason
I trade for Prosser after he gets a solid stretch of GP > MIN trades for Brad fucking Hunt and Prosser scratched
Yannick Weber comes off IR mid-week, plays 3 straight > I activate him for the following week, scratched 2 straight


There's really so much anyone can do.

[Da_Hawks]

The skater gp number is 850...do we really need to find new ways to get guys gp? I'm a rebuilding team too and I'm likely going to hit that number before the end of the match-up period. Make trades. Gp has been so devalued by the extremely low gp number anyway.

I'm not sure what kind of roster you took over, but you have a team loaded with assets. Hell you have like 200gp just sitting on your farm and draft picks galore.

[CasperX22]

The skater gp number is 850...do we really need to find new ways to get guys gp? I'm a rebuilding team too and I'm likely going to hit that number before the end of the match-up period. Make trades. Gp has been so devalued by the extremely low gp number anyway.

When I miss you can take a look and see what else I can do, I get offered guys that get less GP than I have getting scratched regularly, or I get told to pay more than I need to for a GP guy that might not even play. I'm not paying what little assets I have left just to get there, especially when the guys I get end up not even helping me get there. OR I get told "I'd rather keep my depth" yeah, I bet you would.

For example:
I trade for Hannikainen > injured
I trade for Pyatt > traded from a shit Ottawa team to Vancouver, sent down, never gonna play
I trade for Salomaki > injured
I trade for Paul > scratched in Ottawa while they dress 11F and 7D for no reason
I trade for Prosser after he gets a solid stretch of GP > MIN trades for Brad fucking Hunt and Prosser scratched
Yannick Weber comes off IR mid-week, plays 3 straight > I activate him for the following week, scratched 2 straight


There's really so much anyone can do.

Trade for better pieces. You have assets you can turn into 2-3 reliable NHLers. If you constantly trade for 13th fwd and 7th dman types to get gp that's the kind of shit that will happen.

[CasperX22]

The skater gp number is 850...do we really need to find new ways to get guys gp? I'm a rebuilding team too and I'm likely going to hit that number before the end of the match-up period. Make trades. Gp has been so devalued by the extremely low gp number anyway.

I'm not sure what kind of roster you took over, but you have a team loaded with assets. Hell you have like 200gp just sitting on your farm and draft picks galore.

I took over a team very similar to what St. Louis took over. Good aging NHL roster. Had a few good prospects that I held on to that ended up panning out. Basically I pulled the plug before my roster turned into what yours and St. Louis roster turned into and decided to rebuild a year early than a year late.

[Da_Hawks]

Before this gets de-railed into another - you should do this to hit gp thread... curious to hear what other managers think.

[Handsome&FairMike]

Rules have been rules. I say leave it the way it is.

[Da_Hawks]

Rules have been rules. I say leave it the way it is.

Seems kind of rigid to outright refuse to change the rules. NHL rules change constantly to maintain a healthy league.

[Handsome&FairMike]

Yes but it's 1-2 guys complaining about it. This isn't a change proposed by the masses. Probably the largest reason not to change it is...

If said team like yourself used a waiver claim earlier in the year to pick up a useful piece... you then drop to the bottom of the waiver list. Then if we leave the waiver claim period open all year, players like McKegg (who now may get a new deal going forward with NHL time), would be available to either other "lower teams" or even mediocre teams if the "lower" teams had already used their waiver claims. So by doing this, guys like McKegg and potential euro signings will be available to the worst team come the waiver draft if they want them.

Currently, you are second last on this list (and St. Louis is also near the bottom). I would for sure pick up McKegg if the teams in front of me don't.
3. N.Y. Rangers
4. San Jose
5. New Jersey
6. Philadelphia
7. Columbus
8. Colorado
10. Ottawa
11. Carolina
14. Calgary
15. Pittsburgh
16. Anaheim
17. Edmonton
18. Florida
19. Vegas
20. Winnipeg
21. Vancouver
23. N.Y. Islanders
24. Boston
26. Minnesota
27. Nashville
29. Dallas
30. Los Angeles
31. Buffalo
1. Arizona -- Successful claim on October 2
9. Montreal -- Successful claim on October 2
12. St. Louis -- Successful claim on October 2
13. Detroit -- Successful claim on October 2
25. Washington -- Successful claim on October 2
28. Toronto -- Successful claim on October 2
2. Chicago -- Successful claim on December 1
22. Tampa Bay -- Successful claim on January 9

It's not a stupid rule. Sure it seems unfair if you're hard-pressed for GP, but again, GP of 850 as casper has said repeatedly is low (a lot lower than past years), and the RULE has been there all season. You've made a number of deals, with major focus on the future which is great, but you also knew you had to comply to GP and if you aren't there is a cost to it. That's the game you're playing.

[Sensfanjosh]

On the one hand I think it absolutely makes sense to allow teams struggling for GP to add guys like Cracknell and McKegg, they are closer to the sort of guys St. Louis has talked about adding (i.e. marginal guys who likely won't be worth anything now, or during the waiver draft) but I think we'd want to be careful that these are the only sorts of players available and recently signed NCAA guys, or international free agents are left for the waiver draft so that there is some value there as well. My worry is that we need to make the waiver claims so particular that it is just another thing for the administrative team to worry about and rules to get confused about.

There's not an easy solution to getting GP and I'm certainly guilty of hoarding some fringe-y type guys hoping that they gain more value or become steady contributors but I don't know that I shouldn't be allowed to reap the rewards of drafting well and doing my due diligence in the waiver draft either.

[foofnik]

There is no free agency aspect in this league but seemingly a simple solution is that these players go back to free agency after the current season if claimed after Jan 1. So these pieces are all available for the waiver draft next summer. If someone wants to grab an NCAA guy for the potential small handful of games they'll get out of them this year sure, they're right back to waiver draft available in the summer. Lower teams or whoever can add 'temporary' GP pieces too.

[Handsome&FairMike]

There is no free agency aspect in this league but seemingly a simple solution is that these players go back to free agency after the current season if claimed after Jan 1. So these pieces are all available for the waiver draft next summer. If someone wants to grab an NCAA guy for the potential small handful of games they'll get out of them this year sure, they're right back to waiver draft available in the summer. Lower teams or whoever can add 'temporary' GP pieces too.

May be a solution here, but still don't love it.

The biggest issue in this league remains the same as when it started. Some of the original GM's took advantage of shitty GM's and built a loaded team. I just looked at Mik's team and vomitted in my mouth. The amount and quality of players in his minors... and then about 10 1st rounders in the next two years... just insane. He's always going to flourish. Mike would be in the same boat, just hasn't kept up his activity in the league. And it's not their fault... just makes it hard to rise to the top level for sure.

[Da_Hawks]

And the teams who get taken advantage of all probably hit the gp... but how are they actually doing now?

I could trade all of my futures for gp. I've been offered multiple 30 year old 4th liners for my 1st round picks. I'd rather lose draft pick position then give up my entire future.