Trading for UFA rights

Asked Sep 27, 2024 by Michael

What is the point of trading a player whose contract expires in a day or two and who will become a UFA (i.e. Jake Guentzel or Chris Tanev this June)? How does it affect the process of negotiation and what's to stop such a player from simply leaving his new team and signing with any team he wants on July 1?

Answer

Sep 27, 2024

Trading for a pending UFA prior to July 1 provides the acquiring team an exclusive window to negotiate and sign the player prior to every other team being permitted to offer them a contract on July 1.

Alternatively, a sign and trade could be completed, where the original team signs the player to 8 years before trading them. Players can only sign a contract for 8 years with the team they were with at the recent trade deadline.

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