Saturday was the deadline for restricted free agents to elect salary arbitration and 11 players around the league took that option: Morgan Barron (Jets), Lukas Dostal (Ducks), Drew Helleson (Ducks), Kaapo Kakko (Kraken), Nicholas Robertson (Maple Leafs), Dylan Samberg (Jets), Arvid Soderblom (Blackhawks), Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens), Conor Timmins (Sabres), Maksim Tsyplakov (Islanders) and Gabriel Vilardi (Jets).
Why does that matter? These 11 players are no longer eligible to receive offer sheets from other teams, though trades are still possible.
Additionally, the Blue Jackets re-signed one of their pending restricted free agents, Dmitri Voronkov, earlier on Saturday.
Now, not all players on expiring contracts who could be RFAs are offer sheet-eligible. Eligibility is contingent on a combination of when the player signed his entry-level deal and how many years of professional experience he has. If they don't meet the guidelines, they're what's known as a 10.2.c players and can only re-sign with their team. Notable 10.2.c players this summer include Luke Hughes, Alex Laferriere and Mackie Samoskevich.
A refresher on how the process works: If a player signs an offer sheet with a new team, and his original team doesn't match it, the signing team gets the player but provides draft pick compensation to his original team. The draft picks must be the team's own pick(s), not any picks acquired via trades, and they must be for the following draft. The specific picks that would be transferred are contingent on the salary.
Why this matters for the Penguins: Once an offer is above $4,680,077, a first-round pick starts becoming part of the compensation package. The Penguins could very well be a lottery team next season. Gavin McKenna, considered a potential generational talent, is going to be the No. 1 overall pick next year. An offer sheet above $4,680,077 would mean losing out on a shot at McKenna. Even if the Penguins were to finish last in the standings, obviously the first overall pick isn't guaranteed. But if they're going to be in the lottery at all, it would be malpractice to lose their chance in the lottery over an offer sheet this summer. No player is worth that.
Notable restricted free agents who remain offer sheet-eligible include Marco Rossi, Mason McTavish,Bowen Byram, Cam York and Jack McBain.Could any of them be had for under $4,680,077? Probably only McBain, the 25-year-old center for the Mammoth. He'd likely be in the $2,340,038 - $4,680,076 range, which would cost a second-round pick -- still pretty pricey, especially when that's likely going to be a high second-round pick. But it's not unreasonable.
Sure, any of the aforementioned available RFAs could still be acquired via trade and then signed. But say you're a team like Minnesota -- why take anything less than a package that includes a 2026 first-round pick for Rossi, knowing what he'd be worth if he gets offer sheeted?
Kyle Dubas has said that he expects to add the most this summer through trades, less so the free agent market. The offer sheet landscape just seems unfeasible for the Penguins right now, given all the circumstances and who remains. It's probably not happening. Trading for any RFAs remains on the table, and wouldn't be a bad move, as long as their next first-round pick isn't part of the package.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
10:20 pm - 07.05.2025Cranberry, PA.Where does RFA market stand?
Saturday was the deadline for restricted free agents to elect salary arbitration and 11 players around the league took that option: Morgan Barron (Jets), Lukas Dostal (Ducks), Drew Helleson (Ducks), Kaapo Kakko (Kraken), Nicholas Robertson (Maple Leafs), Dylan Samberg (Jets), Arvid Soderblom (Blackhawks), Jayden Struble (Montreal Canadiens), Conor Timmins (Sabres), Maksim Tsyplakov (Islanders) and Gabriel Vilardi (Jets).
Why does that matter? These 11 players are no longer eligible to receive offer sheets from other teams, though trades are still possible.
Additionally, the Blue Jackets re-signed one of their pending restricted free agents, Dmitri Voronkov, earlier on Saturday.
Now, not all players on expiring contracts who could be RFAs are offer sheet-eligible. Eligibility is contingent on a combination of when the player signed his entry-level deal and how many years of professional experience he has. If they don't meet the guidelines, they're what's known as a 10.2.c players and can only re-sign with their team. Notable 10.2.c players this summer include Luke Hughes, Alex Laferriere and Mackie Samoskevich.
A refresher on how the process works: If a player signs an offer sheet with a new team, and his original team doesn't match it, the signing team gets the player but provides draft pick compensation to his original team. The draft picks must be the team's own pick(s), not any picks acquired via trades, and they must be for the following draft. The specific picks that would be transferred are contingent on the salary.
Why this matters for the Penguins: Once an offer is above $4,680,077, a first-round pick starts becoming part of the compensation package. The Penguins could very well be a lottery team next season. Gavin McKenna, considered a potential generational talent, is going to be the No. 1 overall pick next year. An offer sheet above $4,680,077 would mean losing out on a shot at McKenna. Even if the Penguins were to finish last in the standings, obviously the first overall pick isn't guaranteed. But if they're going to be in the lottery at all, it would be malpractice to lose their chance in the lottery over an offer sheet this summer. No player is worth that.
Notable restricted free agents who remain offer sheet-eligible include Marco Rossi, Mason McTavish, Bowen Byram, Cam York and Jack McBain. Could any of them be had for under $4,680,077? Probably only McBain, the 25-year-old center for the Mammoth. He'd likely be in the $2,340,038 - $4,680,076 range, which would cost a second-round pick -- still pretty pricey, especially when that's likely going to be a high second-round pick. But it's not unreasonable.
Sure, any of the aforementioned available RFAs could still be acquired via trade and then signed. But say you're a team like Minnesota -- why take anything less than a package that includes a 2026 first-round pick for Rossi, knowing what he'd be worth if he gets offer sheeted?
Kyle Dubas has said that he expects to add the most this summer through trades, less so the free agent market. The offer sheet landscape just seems unfeasible for the Penguins right now, given all the circumstances and who remains. It's probably not happening. Trading for any RFAs remains on the table, and wouldn't be a bad move, as long as their next first-round pick isn't part of the package.
Want to participate in our comments?
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Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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