Question Regarding RFA

[KrazyGangsta 79]

I was wondering, assuming if a team we're to offer Stamkos 7-8 million per year and obviously Tampa Bay would eventually match that offer. Would Stamkos have the right to chose with whom he can sign with or his obliged to sign with Tampa Bay?

[Bump 20]

No, the team that holds the RFA rights gets the player. Players are the property of their team until they reach unrestricted free agency. In your example, if Stamkos gets to restricted free agency without a contract agreement with Tampa and signs an offer sheet with another team, Tampa could match that offer and would keep the player. The choice is Tampa's alone.

[55fan 5,133]

Yep, Bump is correct. It's section 10.3 of the CBA, included herein for your reading pleasure:

10.3 Offer Sheet and First Refusal Procedures.

(a) When a Restricted Free Agent receives an offer to sign an SPC from any

Club (the "New Club") other than his Prior Club, which offer the Player desires to accept,

he shall give to the Prior Club, in accordance with Exhibit 3 hereto, a completed

certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit 6 attached hereto (the "Offer Sheet"),

signed by the Restricted Free Agent and the New Club, which shall contain the "Principal

Terms" (as defined below) as well as all other terms of compensation of the New Club's

offer. The Prior Club, within seven (7) days after the date it receives the Offer Sheet,may exercise or not exercise its Right of First Refusal, which shall have the legal

consequence set forth below. Once an Offer Sheet for a Restricted Free Agent has been

received by the Prior Club, the Prior Club may not Trade or otherwise Assign its Right of

First Refusal for such Restricted Free Agent.

(b) If the Prior Club gives the Restricted Free Agent and his Certified Agent,

if any, notice, in accordance with Exhibit 3 hereto, that it is exercising its Right of First

Refusal (a "First Refusal Exercise Notice"), such notice to be substantially in the form of

Exhibit 7 attached hereto, to the Player's and his Certified Agent's, if any, address or

facsimile number listed on the Offer Sheet, if any, within the seven (7) day period, such

Restricted Free Agent and the Prior Club shall be deemed to have entered into a binding agreement, which they shall promptly formalize in an SPC, containing: (i) all the

Principal Terms (subject to subsection (e) below); and (ii) such additional terms as may

be agreed upon between the Restricted Free Agent and the Prior Club. The Prior Club

may not Trade that Restricted Free Agent for a period of one year from the date it

exercises its Right of First Refusal.

© If the Prior Club does not give the Restricted Free Agent the First Refusal

Exercise Notice within the seven (7) day period, the Player and the New Club shall be

deemed to have entered into a binding agreement, which they shall promptly formalize in

an SPC, containing all of the terms contained in the Offer Sheet, and the Restricted Free

Agent's Prior Club shall receive from the New Club the Draft Choice Compensation, if

any, specified in Section 10.4 below.

It goes on, but I think this answers the question at hand.